Practice
by ArchFaith
Summary: Takes place after Ep. 25-With Tiger & Bunny knocked down to the Second League, Agnes thinks up a new romance storyline for Barnaby and Blue Rose. Chapter 13 (FINAL): With some final words of encouragement from Kotetsu, Barnaby and Karina come to a decision about their fragile new relationship.
1. The Pitch

Disclaimer: All Tiger & Bunny elements belong to Sunrise. I own nothing.

Note: This story does not take place in a specific time, but for simplicity's sake I guess we can say it takes place after Ep. 25. Tiger and Bunny are now in the Second League.

Practice  
Chapter 1: The Pitch

by archfaith

"What?"

Karina was no stranger to raising her voice. As a child, she had learned how to use her vocal cords to their full potential, and had mastered the art of pitching her voice to play to an audience. As a hero, she projected her voice to the criminals and thieves who crossed her path on the streets of Stern Bild. Now, in the present, she was using her voice to protest something she never thought would be imposed on her.

"A romance?"

Agnes smiled and tilted her head. "You heard right," she said. "We had a meeting with your bosses a few hours ago, and they agreed that it would be a great ratings booster. What do you think, Barnaby?"

Karina looked over to the blonde, seated next to her in a chair across from Agnes's desk. Unlike Karina, who had nearly fallen off her seat at Agnes's new suggestion, Barnaby had remained calm and contained. When he spoke, his voice was smooth and unreadable. "If our companies think it's a good idea, I will do whatever it takes to make this storyline a success."

Agnes's smile only brightened. "Great!" she exclaimed. "I think that first we'll start by dropping hints here and there. After each criminal incident, you can start making little comments to each other. They'll be innocent at first, but as time goes on-"

Karina sat back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest as Agnes droned on about the new romance storyline being implemented on her and Barnaby. Part of her couldn't believe what was happening-and still, another part of her wasn't surprised. Although she admired and trusted Agnes (for the most part), she knew that the producer was not above using the tricks of the trade to grab additional viewers. More viewers meant more sponsors, after all-and more money, which was what everything was all about in the end.

She knew when she signed her contract that she would have to follow what her superiors told her. She would wear the skimpy costume, say the stupid catchphrases, and be the simpering idol to her fans. But this...

"...and then we'll end with a little kiss!" Agnes was clearly oblivious to her distress. The producer of HeroTV was leaning forwards in her chair, head propped on her hands as she eyed the two heroes in front of her. "After that, well, we'll see how it goes."

"It sounds lucrative," Barnaby replied. "Myself and Blue Rose are among the most popular of the heroes. I'm sure a romance between us would attract a lot of attention...both from our base audience and from potential viewers."

"Lucrative?" Karina interjected. "It sounds like we're turning our careers into a soap opera..."

"Well, dear, that's what reality television is-one big soap opera." Agnes was not someone who took negative replies for an answer. "You and Barnaby will begin preparing for the romance arc right away. We're going to try and begin it as soon as possible."

"How soon is that?" Karina asked, frowning.

"Next week," Agnes replied. "It's soon, I know. But we have to at least sow the seeds for the romance to develop as the season goes along."

"I agree," Barnaby said. "The sooner the audience catches wind that there may be some form of attraction between myself and Blue Rose, the quicker ratings will shoot up."

Agnes nodded. "Meaning more sponsors for you, Barnaby. And more sponsors means less time spent in the Second League, wasting your talents." She shook her head, as if in disbelief that Barnaby would deign to lower himself only to stay with his partner. "And maybe a few more modeling contracts too." She turned to Karina. "You as well, Karina."

_What if I don't want any more sponsors? Or any modeling contracts? _Karina thought darkly. Instead of saying what was on her mind, she shrugged. "I guess."

Agnes did not even notice her indifference. "Alright, it's settled!" she continued with a somewhat sly grin. "Why don't you two try a practice kiss?"

"A kiss?" Karina frowned. She stole a look over at Barnaby, who was watching her evenly, without emotion. She felt herself turning red. The truth was, she had never kissed anyone before; she had been asked on dates by several of her male classmates, but there had never been any time for her to pursue entanglements of that sort. Not when she needed to be a hero, on call every hour of her life.

Though she was already quite mature for her age, having worked in the hero business for some time now, she still had the childish dream of having a special first kiss. And she was pretty sure she knew who she wanted to receive it from. Even though her crush was simply that-a girlish crush-she could still daydream. Even when she knew that the older man still loved his dead wife and had a daughter only seven years younger than she was.

_Tiger..._

This was almost exactly the opposite of her daydream-though some girls considered Barnaby "dreamy", she thought he was unfriendly and cold. And Agnes's office was hardly a place she could call "romantic".

But if it had to be, it had to be. Resignedly, she leaned forward towards Barnaby and scrunched her eyes closed. In a second she felt his lips push against hers, and fought back the urge to pull away.

It was over in a second, and was neither stimulating nor romantic. Karina opened her eyes to Agnes's evaluative glare. "We're going to need a lot of work on that," she said, frowning. "Barnaby, you've kissed a lot of girls before, haven't you?"

For one split second she thought she heard him hesitate; but the moment was gone, and the polite, handsome celebrity came back. "I have to admit...I haven't," Barnaby answered. "I did not have time to cultivate attachments when I was younger. I was only focused on finding my parents' killer, and when I entered Hero Academy, becoming stronger was the only thing on my mind."

"Incredible," Agnes murmured. "The most eligible bachelor in Stern Bild and you haven't even been on a date!" The smile returned. "You'll show him, won't you, Karina?"

"Well..." she began awkwardly. "I haven't really had much time for boys either..."

"You two are hopeless!" Agnes leaned back in her chair, causing the springs to creak. "One King of Heroes and one pop star idol, and both so young and innocent." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Okay, heroes, this is your assignment..."

...

_Practice makes perfect._

Though he had listened attentively, and had said all the right things at the right time, this was really going to be a bother. He had managed to hide his lack of enthusiasm from Agnes, as always. But the entire thing was set up to be a disaster.

The door banged shut behind them-Agnes had dismissed them from her office with a smile, her eyes practically gleaming with the viewership ratings that would inevitably come with news of Barnaby and Blue Rose's budding romance. Barnaby could envision the tabloid magazine headlines, the merchandising deals, the interviews he would have to endure on late-night talk shows. He sighed, more from annoyance than from fatigue. Of all the things HeroTV put him through, this was the second-worst situation he had to deal with. The first, of course, had been when Apollon had paired him up with Kotetsu...

"So..." a voice near him began. "What do you want to do about this?"

Karina stood next to him, eyes narrowed as she placed a hand on her hip. She was just as unhappy with the situation as he was, though he did a far better job of hiding it.

"We need to practice," he replied simply. "You don't have much experience with romance, do you?"

Her eyes widened. "As if _you_ do," she said angrily. "I'll let you know right now, Barnaby-you're quite literally the last person I would have picked to do this stupid storyline with."

He smiled. "Your first choice would have been Tiger, wouldn't it?"

She blushed, and turned away from him with a disconsolate sigh. "You're such a jerk," she whispered.

She was such an annoying little girl. Give the public a nice face, curvy hips, and cleavage, and they could make any no-talent wannabe into a star. Karina was less of a hero than any of the others-she was eye candy, a way to gain male viewers just as Ivan pandered to the females. From his brief interactions with her, he had made a mental note that despite her hero experience, she was gullible and hard to work with. Her infatuation with Kotetsu only made her even more of a target, in his eyes.

"We have until the end of this week to perfect that kiss," he said neutrally, addressing Karina's back. "I know you don't particularly want to do this. Neither do I. But we have our assignment."

Karina turned back to him, eyes narrowed. "Right. Kissing practice. Aren't we supposed to be heroes? Is this really what we're supposed to be thinking about?"

"That's funny, a few weeks ago you were lamenting the fact that you had to drop a piano gig to suit up and work. Would you rather be playing your piano than playing at being a hero?" Barnaby snapped. It was so easy to annoy her-she was a great target, as he had discovered when he had guested on her short-lived radio show.

"I-"

"This is our job, whether you like it or not." Barnaby crossed his arms over his shoulders. He had had quite enough arguing from her for one day. "So tell me, where do you want to practice?"

Karina turned back to him, a defeated look on her face. "You're really serious about practicing?"

"If we want to make this story work, yes."

The girl sighed. "Fine...fine," she agreed. "We'll practice. Where, though? Not the training center."

"I agree," Barnaby answered, glad they they could agree on something, for once. "We can practice at my place."

Karina arched an eyebrow. "_Your_ place?" she echoed.

He had almost forgotten how young she was; she had probably never even gone to a boy's house on her own. "Sure, my place," he answered, with a sly smile. "You're not nervous, are you?"

"The day I get nervous because of you, Barnaby, is the day I quit the hero business!" she spat back at him.

"That day won't be long in coming, I assure you."

Karina looked about ready to punch him. "Just give me your address," she said curtly. She reached into her pocket to pull out her cell phone.

"I'll put it in," Barnaby offered, holding his hand out. Karina nearly shoved it into his pal,.

In a few seconds it was done, and the directions to his apartment had automatically formed on the phone's direction system after he had entered it in. "When are you free?" he asked as he handed it back to her.

"Tonight," Karina offered. "If we don't get any calls, that is."

"Fine. I'm clear for tonight too," he responded. "Come on, let's get back to the others."

He had turned down the long hallway, en route to the elevator that would take them back down to the training center. Although Agnes usually did her work at HeroTV headquarters, she had a small office near the training center . kept when she needed to work extensively with the heroes. Although Barnaby had been called up to sit with Agnes before, it had usually been with Kotetsu or alone. And never with Karina.

"I hope we get through with this quickly," she said. "You've...never kissed anyone before?"

Her tone of voice had softened visibly with this last question. Barnaby cocked his head. "As I told Agnes...I didn't have any time for dates in the academy."

"Hmm," Karina muttered. "All the girls in Stern Bild adore you-and some of the guys too."

_But not the guy who matters. _Barnaby quickly pushed the thought out of his mind. "I guess you think that means something," he answered. "But it's just the way things turned out."

"So it's still a facade, huh?"

Karina, like the rest of the heroes, had noticed how markedly different Barnaby appeared in his interactions between the media and the other heroes. Maverick had groomed him into a celebrity. Even though the old man was gone, exposed for the liar and murderer he was, habits were hard to shake. Being a young, handsome hero, acting like a playboy, accepting the pointless modeling contracts and talk-show appearances...these were the things that had made him popular to the public. And although he softened somewhat towards his colleagues-he had accepted a shuriken from Ivan the other day, and had showed Pao-lin some exercises the next-his interactions were mostly still stilted and formal.

Except for with Kotetsu...

"I don't know what you're talking about," he answered. "If that's all you wanted to ask, see you later tonight." As the door to the training center slid open he stepped through, leaving Karina behind to pout.

...

Karina knew that Barnaby had a large, expensive penthouse apartment in the Gold Stage. Pao-lin had described it to her in passing, when she had stayed over one night to babysit the mayor's son. Even though she had never seen it herself, she had heard enough stories from Kotetsu about the place.

_Bunny needs some furniture,_ the older man had been complaining the other day. _Whenever I get too drunk to drive myself home, I have to sleep on the floor!_

Still, she wasn't sure exactly what to expect as she stepped out of the elevator and onto Barnaby's floor. She hadn't seen any other living person from the moment she stepped into the lobby to her sojourn on the elevator, and was feeling slightly unnerved.

_I wonder if he's bent on isolation from everyone except Tiger_, she thought idly as she pushed the small, square buzzer to his apartment. _It wouldn't be anything new for him._

The door opened, and there Barnaby was. He was clad in his familiar jeans and boots, though he had shed the jacket and was wearing only a black t-shirt. He seemed unimpressed. "Come in," he offered simply. Karina took him up on his offer and stepped inside.

Everything Kotetsu had described seemed true. The apartment was large and spacious, and the only piece of furniture in the entire room was a computer console with a small table and a black reclining seat attached to it. Karina walked into what must have been the living room, her boots padding softly against the lushly carpeted floor.

Though she had promised herself she would be surly and indifferent for the night, she could not help but admire the view from the large window that took up an entire wall of the apartment. "Nice view," she remarked, stepping up to the glass. The nightscape of Stern Bild loomed before her, all skyscrapers and spotlights and small specks of light from moving cars.

"It's fine," Barnaby acknowledged quietly. He was standing behind her now, hands on his hips.

If he had any ounce of tact, she reflected, he would have offered her a place to sit, or something to drink. She quickly reminded herself that this was Barnaby she was dealing with, and from Tiger's stories she knew he wasn't much of a host.

Still, this was too awkward. "Tiger was right when he said you didn't have anything in your apartment," she began, trying to start a conversation.

"It's true," he answered. "I don't need anything."

"Well, where do you have people sit when they come over?"

Barnaby cocked his head. "I don't have friends," he responded. "No one _needs_ to sit anywhere."

_That's sad..._Karina thought, and then she realized this was Barnaby she was thinking about. "You have Kotetsu."

She caught a flicker of annoyance on his face before the smooth, neutral countenance returned. "I guess," he answered briefly. "Come on, let's begin."

Karina braced herself mentally, trying to tell herself that it was all for the show, all to live up to Agnes's expectations, all for the hype. No matter what they were forced to do, she could still have her first kiss as herself-as Karina, not Blue Rose-somewhere, somehow. _I'm too much of a romantic_, she thought dully. She sighed and went towards Barnaby, stopping directly in front of him.

His green eyes seemed to appraise her as he looked down at her. He was almost a foot taller than her, and she never been more aware of their difference in height until then. There was a moment of silence before he spoke.

"Tell me what I should be doing."

_Are you serious?_ Karina thought wildly, raising her eyebrows. "Uh...I know you don't have much experience with this, but you've done a lot of modeling before. Haven't you ever posed with women in your photos?"

Barnaby shook his head. "I always pose alone, or with Kotetsu if it's a promotional shoot for HeroTV. It's in all my contracts."

"Why?"

"Apollon has a special stipulation for me. They want me to seem single and available in all my photos. Having a woman pose with me would shatter that image to a lot of my fans. It's how they want to advertise me."

"So you're just a brand name, like me," she answered.

She hadn't expected him to respond to that, but to her surprise, he did. "You've done modeling as Blue Rose. Isn't it the same with you? Wouldn't having a man in your photos turn off at least some of your male fans away?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I always pose alone, or with Pao-lin sometimes. But I guess Agnes will have us modeling together if this romance arc takes off, huh?"

"Probably," he said. "Well, that takes us back to square one. Tell me what I should be doing."

The two stood facing each other for a few moments. She could already sense that, despite his attitude from before, he was not going to make the first move. _All talk_, she thought dismissively. She reached out, and grasped his forearms, gently bringing his hands to her waist. "You can put your hands here."

He let her settle his hands against her waist as he stood silently. He may as well have been an android, for all the emotions he was showing at the moment. And then she felt his fingers flex against her curves. "Like this?" he asked.

"Yeah." A sudden chill quickly ran though her, tingling down from the back of her head to the bottom of her spine. She tried to ignore it as she averted her eyes from his gaze. "I'll put my hands on your shoulders, I guess."

She brought her arms up, resting them against his shoulders, her fingers lightly touching his collarbone. "We should move closer together," he said. It was true-they were almost a foot apart from each other.

"Right," she answered, and in an instant she was pushed up against him, her breasts pressed against his chest. Even through the fabric of their clothes she could feel the hard cords of muscle underneath. A second chill manifested itself down her back, and she fought hard to keep herself from turning red as she looked up at him. "I think this is fine."

"Alright," he agreed.

She regarded him expectantly for a few seconds, anticipating that he would lean forward to kiss her. Nothing happened. "If we were live on air like this, you would probably move to kiss me first. I think." Unless Agnes was going to have her be the sexy seductress this time around.

"So...like this?" Before she could respond, he leaned towards her, pushing his lips against hers. She felt his lips against her mouth, warm and smooth. A sudden urge to pull away was quickly replaced by a fierce curiosity.

The kiss only lasted for a few seconds before he pulled away. They stood staring at each other, eyebrows knit. "I think that probably looked good," Karina said, to break the quiet tension that had built up around in the space of only a few moments.

"For a first time, maybe," he agreed. "I'll try it again."

"O-" she was interrupted by his mouth before she could finish her sentence.

The second kiss was longer, more forceful. Remembering that they would be posing for the cameras, she grasped his shoulders more tightly.

"That seemed good," she said. "A little more romantic."

"It will have to be more than 'a little bit romantic' if we want to please Agnes," Barnaby snapped back at her.

"You're really into your work, Bunny," she said, looking up at him with frustration. It was only as the word left her mouth that she realized what she said.

"What did you call me?" he asked, eyes narrowing.

She shook her head. "Sorry. Only Tiger can call you that, I know," she said playfully. "I've just been hearing him say 'Bunny' so much lately."

She half-expected him to shove her away and order her out of his apartment, but he only gave her a annoyed look. She decided to take a chance with his temper. "Don't worry, I'll only call you 'Bunny' when we're alone," she teased.

"Just shut up," he answered, and then he kissed her again, and she did.

The third kiss was shorter, more restrained. "I'll try wrapping my arms around your neck," she suggested.

The sixth kiss lasted longer than a minute, a first for them. "I'll cross my arms around your waist," he said. "It will make a good photo op."

After the eleventh kiss she surprised even herself. After they broke the kiss, she pulled towards him instead of drawing back. Smoothing back his blonde curls, she brushed her lips against his ear, giving him a small nibble on his earlobe.

"Don't you think that's a bit too raunchy for the timeslot we're in?" Barnaby asked her when she pulled away.

"Uh..." _What am I doing? _she asked herself. She could feel the heat rising to her face. "I just really got into it, that's all," she replied dismissively. It had been some kind of odd, automatic reaction-she hadn't even been thinking when she pulled towards him.

She saw the hint of a smile on his face, and hurriedly tried to push the conversation somewhere else. "I think I'm fine for tonight," she said. "We got the basics down. I know where my hands go, you know yours."

"Fine," he agreed, and they disengaged from their prolonged embrace. "We still need to practice, though."

"Tomorrow night?"

"I'm hosting a roast for the Stern Bild Club," he answered. "What about the day after tomorrow?"

"I'm working on a group project with some classmates."

"I forgot you were still in high school."

She ignored this last comment. "Okay then. How about we practice on Thursday afternoon, at my dance studio? I'm sure no one will bother us there."

"That sounds alright to me."

"Good." Finding nothing else to say, she turned to go. "I'll see you later then."

"See you," Barnaby replied, walking her to the door. "And...Karina?"

"Yeah?"

"When we do this on air, try not to blush so much for the cameras." His smirk was the last thing she saw before he shut the door.

...

To Be Continued. Please review and tell me if you liked it! There are so few Barnaby/Karina fanfics, I want to make sure this one is good!


	2. Preparations

Disclaimer: All Tiger & Bunny elements belong to Sunrise.

Practice  
Chapter 2: Preparations  
by archfaith

Barnaby knew the way to Karina's studio; he had been there previously, to learn that ridiculous dance routine for the the "BTB" stunt the networks had pulled about a year before. Though he was never trained to dance in any way, he had been flexible enough to learn the routine without any problems. Kotetsu, on the other hand...

i_He tried. I guess that's enough. _Speaking of the old man, Barnaby reflected, he still hadn't told Kotetsu about the planned romance arc between himself and Blue Rose. Part of him wanted to let his partner in on the plans, but part of him secretly despised the fact that Agnes had pushed him into this in the first place. Besides, Kotetsu had always been so dense. He was blind to Karina's extremely obvious crush on him, and he had never caught on to Barnaby's veiled affections either. This romance arc would only lead to an inevitable stream of suggestive jokes and slaps on the back from the old man. _Not what I need from him right now..._

Barnaby sighed. He had reached the floor where Karina's studio was located, a well-kept but modest little apartment in the Bronze Stage. Anything more showy would attract paparazzi; unlike Barnaby, Karina could not afford to have her identity exposed.

He pulled open the door to the studio. Karina was sitting on a long, low bench on one corner of the room, away from the large mirrors that dominated the small space. She was leaning up against the wall, eyes flickering over a small mp3 player she held in her hand. Though she was wearing earbuds, she immediately took them out as soon as she saw him appear in the door.

"Hey," she said. "You're a bit early." She looked much the same as ever, although there was a touch of darkness under her eyes, as if she had not gotten enough sleep the night before.

"But you're here, aren't you?" he asked, crossing the room to where she sat. "Were you listening to your latest song?"

Karina immediately shook her head, and the pained look on her face made it clear to him that she didn't like that idea at all. "I never listen to my own music," she replied as she wound the cords around her mp3 player. "I'd rather listen to anything but."

"Hmm," he answered. _Maybe she knows it for the pop drivel it is, _he thought derisively. "Well, what _were_ you listening to?" He might as well have some fun with her if they were going to go through this romance storyline in one piece.

A slight look of confusion formed on her face. "Just some songs from a band that broke up a few years ago. I used to listen to them when I was younger."

He sat down next to her, and leaned back against the wall. It had been another tiring day for him; the morning had been occupied with a hostage situation at a mom-and-pop store, which he and Kotetsu had easily foiled. A quick lunch had been followed by an interview on Mario's talk show about his recent return to Stern Bild. Tonight, after he and Karina had their practice session, he would have to log onto to hold an online chat session to answer some questions from fans. And tomorrow, it would be more of the same thing.

"I usually listen to-"

"Classical and opera, right?" Karina had a sour expression on her face. "I remember."

So much animosity had formed between them since his guest stint on Karina's now-cancelled show. He gave her a slight smile. "Good memory."

The balmy weather of late spring had cause the air in the studio to warm; he shrugged off his jacket and placed it next to him on the bench. "Well, are you ready to practice?"

She looked a little less than thrilled at the suggestion. "Sure. No chance we can do this sitting down, can we?"

Though he usually did not care to prolong conversations with people, there was something about her tone that prompted him. "You've had a long day?"

"Yeah," she replied, closing her eyes with a short sigh. "I pulled an all-nighter finishing a history paper for my class. Then school, then training in the gym for a bit. I helped Nathan with that kidnapper earlier this afternoon, too." She stretched her legs, her boots making small scuff marks on the polished wood floor. "Just the usual. You know."

He nodded. There was little room for relaxation in the hero business." I don't think it will make much of a difference whether we sit or stand." He took a cursory look around the room. They were sitting directly in front of the large viewing mirror. "We can use the mirror for reference."

"For how we'll look later, on camera?" she asked, sitting up. "Right."

They were silent for a moment before Barnaby quickly reminded himself that he would probably be taking the initiative here. He came closer to Karina and slid his arms around her, his fingers locked around her waist. The first time she had taught him what to do, it had felt alien to him. He had never really touched a woman before, and had never dreamed that Karina, of all people, would be showing him how. And while it still felt odd to him, as drummed his fingers against her waist, this time it felt less strange. _Maybe I'll even be used to it once we do this on camera..._

Karina placed her arms around her neck and moved nearer to him, pushing her body against his. "Okay," she said. "Go ahead."

He leaned down and kissed her. It was a slightly awkward position; they were seated next to each other, and both had to turn their heads at a sharp angle to kiss. "This is weird," she told him as they parted. "I guess we'll need to stand after all. Unless I sit on your lap or something..."

"You can, if you want."

Karina raised her eyebrows. "What?"

Barnaby cocked his head. Although he was still getting used to this whole idea of being paired with Karina, it wouldn't hurt if they attempted to be more comfortable around each other. "If it's a better angle for us to practice, we can try it."

"At this rate we may as well just stand," Karina murmured.

"I thought you said you were tired."

"I am!"

"Fine, then we can practice sitting down. We just need to find a better angle." He wasn't sure why she was getting so worked up about nothing. "Here, swing your legs over mine."

She hesitated for a few seconds before she brought her legs up to rest over his. He reached beneath her, tightened his hold under her thighs, and in one short motion he lifted her up onto his lap completely.

Karina's eyes widened as she placed her arms around his neck once more, to steady herself. "Is this better?" he asked, arms encircling her waist once again.

"I guess," Karina answered. She shifted slightly, to better accommodate herself on his lap. "It'll be a better position to kiss in, anyway."

He had never really noticed her curves before. Although he had seen her in her Blue Rose outfit countless times before, he had always attributed her shape to the build of the costume itself, and had been less impressed with the actual girl. As Karina, she was usually dressed in her familiar tan dress, with socks and boots and was less concerned with showing off her body than she was with foundering after Kotetsu. _So it isn't all just tricks and props..._

He hadn't noticed that he was hesitating until Karina let out a short sigh and leaned forward. Her lips pushed against his just a little forcefully, as if she were letting out her frustration all at once.

"You should stop hesitating," she admonished him after they were done. "I'm pretty sure the script will call for you to make the first move."

"Fine...I agree that it's something I have to work on," he admitted. "That's why we're practicing, isn't it?"

"Yeah," she answered. She shifted slightly, moving her butt against his legs.

He fought back the sudden urge to pull her towards him again. _What am I thinking? _"Alright, let's try it again."

Having Karina sit on his lap turned out to be more of a distraction than anything else. He had to admit-though he had never held anyone in such a way, holding her felt good. He had expected her body to feel light against his, and was surprised to note that although her body was slim and lithe, her body felt..._solid? _No, that was not the right word. She felt-real. Before, he had only thought of Karina as an annoying child, and of Blue Rose as a fleeting pop star. Now, holding her close against him, he mused that perhaps he could finally gain a sense of the girl herself.

They kissed a number of times before Karina spoke again. "Am I still blushing?" she asked seriously. "I've been working on it."

Barnaby looked closely at her. "A little bit," he admitted. "Not as much as before."

"Good."

"Don't get too confident," he warned. "We probably still have a lot to work on."

She shifted once again in his lap, and he found himself moving his fingers down her back, smoothing down the curve of her spine. Karina widened her eyes at this sudden touch, and slightly arched her back in response to his touch.

"Aren't you getting a little too familiar?" she asked.

He blinked. He had only been vaguely aware of what he was doing, and the full implications of the touch dawned on him a second too late. But he was a master at playing off things that made him uncomfortable. It was nice, he had to admit, holding her close like this. It was a new sensation. He could have had his share of girls back at the Academy; they had practically thrown themselves at him, giving him presents, flocking after him after class. Some of the guys too, of course. But none of their petty crushes had ever mattered to him. No one had ever interested him enough for him to really take notice of them. No one except-

"It's better we get familiar now, before the storyline starts." He let his hand drop away from the small of her back. "But I'll stop if it's making you uncomfortable."

She turned away from him quickly, but not in time for him to miss the flush forming on her cheeks. He couldn't help but smile.

"If I'm still making you blush, we have a long way to go with this."

"Shut up," she muttered. "For a guy who's never even kissed a woman, you should be less of a know-it-all."

She was still so childish. "That's not quite correct. I haven't kissed a woman before, but I _have_ kissed a girl."

She narrowed her eyes. "Oh? Who?"

"You."

She was silent for a moment before the inevitable scowl formed. "That doesn't count, _Bunny_," she protested. "It's just for the show. It's not for real."

"You're right," he admitted. "I guess you're holding out for your _real_ first kiss, aren't you?"

She sighed. He did not know exactly why he enjoying watching her squirm, but he took a twisted delight in it nonetheless. "Let's just get on with this, okay?"

"Fine," he answered. "Let's put some effort into this one." He pulled her in close for another kiss.

He supposed Karina took his suggestion to heart; though her hands had assumed their familiar place around his neck, he felt her fingers begin to comb their way lazily through his hair. _Something new, _he thought fleetingly. An unfamiliar urge had started welling up inside him; something that startled him, and almost repulsed him.

_This is..._

He wrapped his arms tighter around her waist, gently squeezing her towards him as he drummed his fingers against the small of her back. Karina instinctively pushed back from him, opening her eyes slightly in confusion. She broke the kiss abruptly, her fingers now digging into his forearms.

"Hey..." she breathed. "Isn't that a little too intense?"

"It's what our fans will want to see, I'm sure." He was pretty sure of that. _Although it did get quite intense..._

Karina gave him a confused look. "Well...fine." There was a certain tone in her voice now; an indecisive, secretive voice that made her sound older than she was. "Let's try it again."

They were leaning towards each other when loud whirring noises sounded from both of their CALL bracelets. Flashing Karina a knowing look, Barnaby released his hold on her, freeing his fingers to tap against the thin silicon of his own band.

"Bonjour, heroes." Agnes didn't even bother with the holographic viewer this time. Her smooth voice filtered out through the band's speakers. "There's a robbery in progress at the First National Bank on Old Street. It's an old-fashioned hold-up and the thieves are taking their time, so hurry. Radio in your coordinates and I'll dispatch your mobile units so you can suit u-"

Barnaby tapped his bracelet again, and the voice abruptly cut off. Great. Although he was thankful for an excuse not to greet his crazed fans on Apollon's webchat, he didn't feel like dealing with such a trifling crime. Not now, anyway. But there was refusing for HeroTV.

"Well, I guess that's that,"Karina said softly. She was still sitting on his lap, one arm lazily hanging onto Barnaby's neck. Barnaby released his hold around her waist and she slid out of his lap straightening out the folds on her dress. He stood as well, gathering his jacket in his arms. "I'll radio my coordinates to Agnes when I get outside."

"Me too." She paused. "You think we'll need to practice again?" she asked.

"It wouldn't hurt to," he answered as they headed towards the door to the studio. They did still have a lot to work on. "Tomorrow night?"

"I'm clear," she responded. "Seven?"

"Sounds good."

At the door, they stopped for a moment. "Well, see you then," Barnaby said, regarding the girl before him with a newly-formed interest that he wasn't quite sure he understood.

"Yeah," she said simply.

They stood facing one another before Barnaby turned away and grasped the door handle. "Come on, let's go."

...

To be continued.

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	3. Hunger

Disclaimer: All Tiger & Bunny elements belong to Sunrise.

Practice

Chapter 3: Hunger

by archfaith

Although she and Barnaby had agreed to meet at seven o'clock the next night, a raging apartment fire in the Gold Stage managed to interrupt their plans. At seven-thirty Karina arrived promptly as Blue Rose, preening and posturing in front of the cameras before using her ice powers to freeze most of the blaze. Amongst all the heroes, her powers had been the most useful to combat the disaster; Sky High and Dragon Kid managed to drag all the residents out, while Rock Bison used his drills to knock down a few walls to reach the rest of the trapped citizens.

"It looks like ice queen has done it again! Stern Bild, put your hands together for Blue Rose. At this rate, she'll be the next King of Heroes!" She could hear Mario's grating voice booming down from the HeroTV helicopter, and suppressed a frown to smile for the cameras.

"Just doing my job, citizens," she said, blowing a kiss to the nearest camera. "My ice may be a little bit cold, but this fire has been put on hold!" She gave the camera a seductive grin. _I hope my lipstick hasn't smudged..._

Tiger and Bunny had arrived as well, and were assisting with the evacuation of the residents. As official members of the Second League, they usually waited until the First League was finished with the majority of the heroics before stepping in. Karina didn't acknowledge them until Kotetsu came up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin. "Great job, Rose!" he exclaimed, flipping up the helmet to reveal the familiar domino mask underneath. "I couldn't have done better myself."

She felt herself growing red, and struggled to keep herself under control. "You're out of practice," she told him. _I missed you, _was what she meant to say. _I'm glad you've come back to us._

"It's only been two months since I came back!" Kotetsu protested. "Give me some time, and I'll show you the same moves I had a couple of years ago!"

"Right, Wild Tiger One Minute," she chided. "I'll be waiting for the obituary."

The residents had all been bundled into the ambulances, and luckily no one had been seriously injured. With the last of his tasks completed, Barnaby was now striding towards them, his helmet flipped up to show the serious look on his face.

"Good work for you too, Bunny!" Tiger said, with a broad smile plastered on his face. Karina frowned, not particularly knowing what to say.

Barnaby either didn't hear Kotetsu, or chose to ignore him. He stepped up to Karina and nodded gravely at her. "Good work, Rose," he said calmly.

So this was Barnaby the Hero she was dealing with now; his fake smile and calculated warmth was all she needed to know that he was acting for the show. _I guess we'll have to launch the __storyline early, then. _Bracing herself, Karina smiled. "I was hoping you'd come over and say that to me, Barnaby," she replied, in a sing-song voice. "I'm glad you're back. I was beginning to miss you."

Barnaby smiled back at her. "I like hearing that from you."

She swung her hands behind her back, and then time allowed the blush to spread over her cheeks. "Maybe you'll hear more someday," she replied. Kotetsu had crossed his arms over his chest, and was eying the two of them with a confused look on his face.

"What's this, folks? Is that Barnaby talking to Blue Rose?" Mario's voice once again filtered down over the rubble and burnt furniture that littered the sidewalk. "An interesting turn of events, ladies and gentlemen! Perhaps there's something going on? Tune in next time for more heroics from our heroes!"

With the transmission over, Karina immediately dropped the act. Placing her hands on her hips, she sighed. "Are we still practicing tonight?" she asked. It was nearly nine o'clock, and although it was a Friday night she wasn't sure if practice would figure into Barnaby's busy schedule.

"If you're up to it," Barnaby replied.

"Practicing _what_?" Kotetsu asked loudly.

Both turned to look at him. Karina was silent, but Barnaby shook his head. "Nothing, old man," he said smoothly. "Just some lines for the show."

A look of pure confusion spread over Kotetsu's face. "Lines? Between Bunny and Rose? Since when have you two ever even...talked to each other during a broadcast?" He gestured dramatically towards the camera.

"It's just something new Agnes is trying out," Karina explained, deciding to leave the romance part out of it. "She thinks if Barnaby and I interact more, ratings will go up."

Kotetsu's expression turned a little crestfallen as he looked back to his partner. "I guess she didn't mention anything about this old man being a ratings booster, huh?"

Karina furrowed her brows. "It's not like that, Tiger," she said simply, wishing that she could tell him what she truly thought of this whole romance escapade. "If it were up to me-"

"We have to get going," Barnaby said abruptly. He turned and headed away from the pair, flipping the visor of his helmet down as he strode away.

Though he still looked disappointed, Kotetsu managed to give Karina a smile. "Next time tell me about these things. For a moment there I thought there something going with you two." He winked and turned away, ambling down the debris-littered path to join Barnaby.

Karina watched them climb into the Double Chaser, Barnaby climbing onto the cycle with Kotetsu settling down in the sidecar. An odd feeling welled up inside her as she watched them speed away.

...

It wasn't that she was angry with Barnaby. He had been forced into the same circumstances by chance, and they were both under pressure to fulfill this ridiculous charade. But Tiger...

_I should tell him. Even if I know it's hopeless, I should tell him..._

Yet even as she pondered this sudden notion, she could not even tell if it was truly what she felt anymore. As much as she tried to deny it, the last session with Barnaby had been...interesting. Sitting on his lap had been something new, and when he pulled her close for a kiss she could sworn that there was some meaning in it.

_I'm just getting these weird feelings because it's new to me, _she told herself as she unzipped her tall boots. She had to find a way to disconnect her feelings from her actions. She didn't even like Barnaby as a person, and now she was finding little moments during the day to think about their practice session in the dance studio. _This is stupid. It's just the kissing I liked, not the person doing it._

She had never felt more like a little girl, dreaming about trivial things and cultivating half-baked wasn't until she was safely inside her mobile changing unit, pulling off the uncomfortable collar to her outfit, that she saw a new message on her phone.

_Where are you? _Inevitably, it was from Barnaby.

She sighed. Though it was already past ten o'clock, they had to use every free hour they had. The subtle flirting after the fire had been good, but the viewers would need something juicier by next week.

She texted back. _I'm changing in my unit._

The reply came a few seconds later. _Send me your coordinates and I'll come pick you up._

Karina used the tracking feature on her phone to pinpoint the unit's coordinates, and sent them in a short message to Barnaby. Though he did not send a reply, she was sure he was probably on his way.

She carefully removed the rest of her outfit, and stored it inside a protective case just as she had been instructed by her technicians. She hurriedly pulled on her street clothes, grabbed her bag, and stepped out of the changing area. Her technicians-one assigned to her from Titan, one directly from Pepsi-were putting together damage reports in the computer area. She gave them a quick wave before opening the main entrance door. Although they were decent enough people, she hardly knew them; the only times she ever saw them were when worked on her suit or made adjustments.

The unit was parked in a fairly deserted area, away from the prying eyes of Blue Rose's fans. Even then, as soon as she stepped outside she spied a familiar red sports car parked a few paces away from the unit's entrance.

Barnaby's face betrayed his boredom. It was funny-he was so good at acting warm and interested for the cameras, but never bothered to conceal his feelings around people who weren't his fans. As soon as he saw her he started the engine.

"You took a while," he commented dryly as she opened the passenger side door.

Karina frowned. "Well, unlike someone else I know, my outfit is a little bit complicated to get out of," she answered. "Plus, I have to take off the wig and make-up. If I left on even the slightest bit of Blue Rose's make-up, I'd get recognized in an instant."

"I suppose," he replied as he steered the car down the street and turned the right blinker on, though no one else seemed to be driving near them. "Identity is not something I need to worry about."

Barnaby had grabbed endless headlines, claiming to be the first superhero to reveal his identity to the public. Karina sat back, and was silent for a few minutes as the car sped through the city streets. "Do you ever wish you hadn't revealed your identity?"

"There are positive and negative outcomes," he admitted. "I enjoy all the perks a regular celebrity would, and I get all the prime magazine interviews and advertising offers. It doesn't matter if I'm in my suit or not, since almost everyone knows who I am. As for the negative things-there's a loss of anonymity, of course. Many times people have the decency to let me go about my business, but there are times when I'm mobbed by fans. And there always seems to be something about me on the tabloids or the talks shows, too. That's the price I paid for being recognized. I can't say I would take it back, even if it was a suggestion from Maverick."

"But don't you ever wish you could just walk down a street without being asked for an autograph, or snapped by a camera?"

"Karina," he began, and she knew this was going to be something serious, "don't you ever wonder what it would like to be thanked for your efforts in saving Stern Bild over and over again? Not as Blue Rose, not your superhero persona, but as yourself?"

_Don't you want to acknowledged? _was the real question he was asking her, and she twisted uncomfortably in her seat. It was a question she had grappled with so many times in the past-being adored and worshipped by her fans, receiving thank you notes from school children, accepting awards from the lawmakers of the city. As Blue Rose. Always, everything as Blue Rose. Not as Karina, the shy school girl who played the piano in her spare time. _No one cares about that girl._

She chose not to answer his question, and thankfully he did not press her. Hopefully they could continue to be civil to each other for this night, at least.

It was a long way to the Gold Stage from this part of the city. With nighttime traffic, they would make it in perhaps thirty minutes. Karina wrapped her arms over her chest in impatience. At this rate, she wouldn't get back home until midnight, long after her parents had gone to bed. She felt like she never saw them these days, not with all the tasks she had brought on herself.

_It's been a long time since I ate, too. _She had eaten a cup of yogurt for lunch, before she was called off to the training center for some mandatory demonstrations as requested by her sponsors. "I don't suppose you have anything to eat at your place, do you?" she asked half-jokingly.

"You're hungry?" came the nonchalant answer.

"I haven't had much all day," she replied, wondering why she was even bothering to tell him.

He paused for a moment before speaking. "I don't keep much food in my apartment. But I don't want you collapsing on me before our session. We can stop and get something to eat, if you'd like."

She noted the word _we_ in his response. "I would appreciate it," she said. "I only had some yogurt at lunch."

"All I had was an apple slice for breakfast."

"That's all?"

"I got a call from Doc Saito, asking me to come test out some modifications he made to my suit." The car stopped at a red light, and a small trickle of pedestrians ambled by on the crosswalk. "Do you want to stop at the Honey Diner?"

_Honey Diner? _The name sounded familiar. Karina searched her mind for a moment, and quickly remembered that it was the same diner that Nathan had brought the heroes to, after a long night of crimefighting about a year ago. But...

"Are we going to eat there?"

"In case you've forgotten, my apartment is built for one," Barnaby said matter-of-factly. "There wouldn't be any place for you to sit."

"Unless I sit on your lap again," she blurted out, and as soon as the words left her lips she regretted it. She hadn't mean to say it out loud, although she did admit that the thought had crossed her mind.

Barnaby smiled. "Don't get too worked up now. We're going to a public place." He chuckled as her face quickly turned a bright shade of red.

...

The small, gold bell attached to the door frame made a soft ding noise as they stepped into the small waiting area of the Honey Diner. At this hour, the diner's patrons consisted of mostly half-drunk college kids from the clubs or grizzled-looking older men sitting alone. The hostess standing near the cashier's counter barely looked up from her magazine as they walked in. "Good evening, welcome to the Honey-" It was then that she glanced up, and her eyes widened.

"Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed "Barnaby Brooks, Junior?"

Barnaby smiled. "That's me, miss."

"I can't believe this!" the girl shouted, attracting the attention of the few other diners, who quickly turned in their seats to see what the commotion was all about. "Imagine meeting you here! Oh my gosh! My sister and I are your biggest fans! Could you please sign-"

Karina narrowed her eyes. Though she was thankful that she did not have to go through the same drill with her fans, she did see his point about being acknowledged. She could see the way the other patrons' eyes gleamed when they saw Barnaby in their midst; they all adored him and thought well of him. No one's eyes lingered long on her, however; and though she tried to deny it, tried to push those negative thoughts away, she could not but feel a twinge of resentment.

_I guess this is what Kotetsu feels like._

An older man had emerged from behind the bar, and quickly made his way to the host's counter. "I'm the night manager here," he announced. "It's an honor to have you in my humble little establishment, Mr. Brooks," he said, extending his hand for a handshake. "Thank you so much for protecting our city. You saved my niece from being hit by a car a few months ago...I'm sure you don't remember it, what with all the amazing things you've done lately!"

"I would remember anyone I helped save," Barnaby replied, grasping the man's hand. "We heroes protect the city to safeguard decent citizens like you."

The hostess's eyes finally landed on Karina. "Who's this cute girl with you?" she asked. "Is she-uh, are you on a-"

"She's a friend of mine," Barnaby answered. "We've known each other for some time."

"That's right," Karina chimed in, with a brief smile. "Old friends."

The managed nodded. "Well, young lady, you're certainly lucky to be friends with such a courageous, upstanding young man!"

Barnaby flashed them a winning grin. "No, I'm the one who's lucky to know _her_."

_He _is _good, _Karina thought as a flustered waitress ushered them to a booth. _No wonder the public adores him so much. _It was ironic, she mused, that a superhero with no secret identity could have such a dual personality. If she had not known Barnaby personally, she would probably have been as enchanted and taken as the staff and the other diners. Barnaby presented such an agreeable face to his fans and such a neutral, cold face to his colleagues that she secretly wondered if they were two separate people.

The hubbub died down somewhat after that, although a few of the other diners still turned round here and there to catch a glimpse of their hero. Barnaby, it seemed, had quickly tired of his charade, and was perusing the menu with casual interest.

"Well, I'm ready," he said after a few seconds.

"That quickly?"

"I only have a few favorites, so I keep with what I know is good," he explained. "I think I'll have the beef stroganoff tonight."

"It sounds like something you would do," Karina conceded, setting her menu down. She had been eying the shrimp pasta for more than a few seconds. "I'm ready as well."

The waitress, who had finally gotten over her shyness, came and collected their orders. It was only after she had gathered their menus and disappeared back into the kitchen that Karina realized the position she was in. Barnaby sat quietly across the table from her, his fingertips gently tapping on the countertop. She tucked her hands into her lap, suddenly unsure what to say.

Although she had faced countless criminals, dodged bullet shots, and attempted daring feats to rescue citizens, she had never really experienced anything quite like this. She was sitting in a restaurant across from a man, and they were about to eat together. _This isn't a date, _she reminded herself. _Just something we're doing before we get down to business._

A few uncomfortable seconds passed before she decided that she had to say something. "Do you really remember that man's niece, the one you saved?" was the first thing that came to mind..

Barnaby raised an eyebrow. "Not particularly," he answered in a low voice.

"Than why did you tell him you did?"

"It's what he wanted to hear." His casual voice annoyed her. "Sometimes I make concessions to please people."

"Even if it's a lie?"

He leaned forwards, his hand tracing the rim of the glass of water set on the table near him. "We all need to lie sometimes. There was no harm done. He seemed happy to think I remembered her."

She frowned, and glanced at the clock along the wall. Approximately two minutes had passed since the waitress had taken their order. It was going to be a long wait.

"Tiger asked me about you," Barnaby then said, and she felt an unexpected thrill run through her heart.

"Oh, did he?" she answered, trying her hardest to be nonchalant. _A complete failure at that, I know. _"Why?"

The hint of a smile formed near the corners of his mouth. "He told me that if I did anything to hurt your feelings in any way, I'd have to answer to him."

"Oh," she said, crestfallen. "Well. That sounds like him, alright." _Always looking out for everyone..._

Another few seconds of odd silence befell them. The only times they had ever been alone together was when they practiced during their romance sessions, and those had always been in the privacy of Barnaby's apartment or Karina's studio. Besides, the goal in those situations had always been clear-kiss, practice looking good in front of the cameras, and leave. There had never been any occasion for excessive talk until now.

_So what's my goal here? _she asked herself, trying to think of it as a challenge, trying to overcome the strangeness of the situation. _What should I talk about? The weather? Our points?_

"Barnaby...why did you come back to Stern Bild?"

The question seemed to take the blonde man by surprise. Barnaby leaned back onto the seat, spreading his hands on the counter as if he were under interrogation. "Why would you need to know that?"

She could sense the uncertainty in his voice, and knew she had struck a nerve. "I'm just asking, that's all," she replied. "You had been gone for a year..."

"Stern Bild needed me again," Barnaby answered calmly. "The First League had its hands full dealing with the real threats. That joke called the Second League was hardly making a dent on crime. "

"I don't really think that's it." She spoke carefully. "You came back because of Tiger, didn't you?"

Barnaby was now sitting shock-still, his green eyes focused directly on her. "I came back because the crime rates were rising to appalling levels. And because the old man needed me."

She didn't know why she was testing him; there was a certain curiosity that inspired her to push forward, and she found herself intrigued by the possibilities. It was a given that Kotetsu and Barnaby harbored some affection towards each other, but the extent of their relationship remained to be seen. "But you missed him, didn't you?"

"He can't survive without me. His powers are on a downward spiral. In case you haven't realized, 'Wild Tiger One Minute' isn't the most threatening name for a hero to have." The frown on his face deepened.

She took a sip of water. "That's true," she agreed. She couldn't help but smile. "But neither is _Bunny_."

She expected Barnaby to show some sort of anger, but he instead simply sat back and leaned against the backrest of the seat. "Enough about Tiger." There was a tiredness in his voice she hadn't noted before. "Let's just agree to-"

At that moment the waitress arrived back at the table, two steaming plates heaped on her arm. "Here you are, Mr. Brooks!" she announced. "Beef stroganoff for you, and shrimp pasta for your lady friend."

Karina accepted her plate in silence, while Barnaby contained himself long enough to give the waitress a polite "Thank you".

As the waitress nearly skipped back to the kitchen, Barnaby relaxed his stance. "This isn't the time nor the place to talk about these things," he began.

"If you want me to stop asking, I will," she answered, picking up her fork. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

He cocked his head. "Are you trying to prove something to me, or to yourself?"

"To both of us," she answered, and she meant it.

He sighed as he dug a fork into the plate of beef and noodles in front of him. "Just eat," he instructed her, and she was happy to oblige.

...

To be continued.

Hello all. If you like this story, please let me know! I'm open to comments and constructive criticism! Barnaby/Karina is a very challenging pair to write while keeping them in character! I hope to have the next chapter up soon!


	4. Relaxation

Disclaimer: All Tiger & Bunny elements belong to Sunrise.

Practice  
Chapter 4: Relaxation

by archfaith

The door to Barnaby's apartment, like all the other elements of the his building, used state-of-the-art technology. Unlike the door to Karina's house, which only required a regular brass key, the door here only had a small pad built over the knob. Barnaby pushed his index finger against the pad, and Karina heard a soft click as the lock opened automatically.

Barnaby pushed open the door and went inside, Karina following him. The apartment was dark as they entered, but a soft, filtered light started to glow overhead as they neared the center of the room. Although she thought she could stay awake for a few more hours, entering the dim, muted atmosphere of the apartment coaxed her into a relaxed feeling. It hadn't help that the food at the Honey Diner had been hearty and filling, and had helped relieved the hunger she felt from before. It had been a long day full of heroics. Mercifully, she had the morning the next day. _I don't have to be at the gym until one..._

She walked towards the center of the room, her eyes coming to rest on the reclining chair built into the computer console. Although she knew Barnaby was quite prickly with his possessions, she decided to make herself at home. She sat down on the recliner, swinging her stocking-clad legs up onto the cushion and lying back. It wasn't the most comfortable of seats, but it was enough for the moment.

She initially thought Barnaby would tell her to get up, but he merely came over to her, arms crossed over his chest. "Move," he told her, and she shifted her body over, wondering if he was going to attempt to lie down next to her. Instead, he sat down crossways, leaving both feet firmly on the floor. He turned his body to face her prone form.

"I'm surprised you're not asking me to find my own place to sit," she said.

He cocked his head. "We have to be close to each other to do this. It doesn't matter where." He narrowed his eyes as his eyes slid down her legs. "Though I'd rather you took your boots off. This is real leather, you know."

She raised an eyebrow. _So particular about the most minute things. _She had tolerated his neutral tone towards her all night, but her patience was beginning to wear thin. "Do you want to help me out here? I'd hate to take them off in the incorrect way," she replied with a touch of sarcasm.

To her surprise, Barnaby's hand moved down to her ankle. "If that's the only way you'll do it," he said. He turned away from her as he wrapped his hands around the heel and toe of her right boot, giving them a tentative tug. She felt her heart suddenly begin to pound, and felt her face begin to grow red from embarrassment.

"I didn't think you'd actually do it," she protested as she raised her leg slightly, giving him a chance to slide the boot off her feet.

He smiled as he moved on to the other boot. "I'm just used to keeping things in a very particular way," he explained as he placed the second boot on the ground. His fingers lingered against her calf for a few seconds longer than they should have, and she averted her eyes from his gaze as she felt her cheeks tingle.

He smiled at her reaction. "Your muscles are tense."

"I'm tired. I just need to relax."Her feet now free of the boots, she tucked her legs together on the recliner as he turned towards her again.

"Ready?" he asked.

She nodded, and he came towards her, placing his hands on her waist without hesitating. _He's getting better_, she thought as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Their lips had almost touched before a loud, annoying buzz suddenly sounded near Barnaby's pocket. He drew back from her and reached into his pocket, bringing out the phone and flipping it open.

"Yes?" he asked, and this statement was immediately followed by a sigh. "Hold on for a minute." He covered the phone with his hand and looked back to Karina. "I'll be just a few minutes. Wait here."

She frowned. "Alright." _I bet it's Tiger, _she thought darkly as he rose off the seat. Her eyes followed him as he rose from the recliner and strode towards the hallway to the left of the large screen. His figure disappeared down the hallway, and she heard a door open at the end.

With a sigh, she lay back against the dark cushion, turning onto her side and placing an arm beneath her head. Of course it was Kotetsu on the other end-who else would call Barnaby in the middle of the night?

She scrunched her eyes shut, and tried to lie still. There was nothing to do except wait for him to return. If anything, perhaps she could catch a little rest.

...

Barnaby walked into the darkened kitchen, holding the cell phone tight against his ear. "Where are you?" he asked, as he had a million times before.

"You know," Tiger's slurred voice filtered back. The old man was speaking too close to the receiver, and his words tumbled out in a rush of static. "That bar on J Street. Y'know, the one with the nice fruity drinks."

Barnaby sighed. "You're alone?" he asked, drumming his fingers against the countertop.

"Nah. Antonio's here. And Nathan. They brought Keith too. Dunno what for, though, that guy doesn't hold his liquor too well." Kotetsu's voice seemed to drop at this. "You should come out too, Bunny!"

"Not know I don't prefer those kinds of places, anyway."

"Don't prefer this, don't prefer that! You're so lame, little Bunny." He coughed slightly into the receiver. "What, is it too noisy for you?"

_Yes, _he wanted to say. _It's too noisy, with too many people who have too many autographs to sign, and too many hands to shake. _"I'm fine, thanks."

"Tsk tsk tsk." He could almost imagine Kotetsu wagging his finger at him. "I thought we knew each other by now. I know you don't want to be all alone in that big apartment all by yourself."

_I'd rather you here with me, drunk or not. _"I told you before, I'm fine." What he hadn't told Kotetsu was that he was not alone after all, since he was sure Kotetsu would hound him for information if he knew Karina was there.

"You're such a drag!" Kotetsu shouted, although he was probably expecting the answer. "Well, whatever."

"Is that all you wanted to say?"

"I guess." He heard a chuckle on the other end of the line. "You're a great partner, little Bunny. Only you would keep picking up the phone this late at night, knowing it's me."

"If I didn't do it, who else would?" Even when they had first been partnered up by Lloyds, in those frustrating first days before they had really known each other, Kotetsu had always been there for him. Through the terrors of Jake Martinez, the endless battles with Lunatic, even the discovery of Maverick's lies-the old man had always been looking out for him. It would only make sense for him to return the favor, even though he was willing to do far more than Kotetsu would ever realize.

Barnaby heard a sudden commotion in the background, a rush of voices rising in one great tremor. "Heh heh...I told you Keith is a lightweight. Better go help out." Kotetsu's voice was muffled, as though he was holding the phone away. "See you later, Bunny!"

"Goodbye, Kotetsu." He clicked the phone off and sighed. Kotetsu always seemed to call him when he was drunk. Ever since he had returned to Stern Bild a few months ago, Kotetsu had taken to calling him every time he went out drinking, and each call turned out to be an invitation. Barnaby would sometimes accept, and this had led to some memorable nights with Kotetsu and whoever else had elected to come along-sometimes Antonio, sometimes Nathan. But mostly it was just him and the old man, talking, discussing, reminiscing about whatever Kotetsu felt like talking about. Barnaby honestly thought he knew more about Tomoe than anyone else, perhaps even more than Kaede.

On any other night, he would have accepted. Now was not the right time, however-Karina was waiting for him in the living room, and they had business to attend to.

_Business. _She had been so curious and pushy during their meal at the Honey Diner that he was wondering what exactly was going on in her mind. Most of all, she wanted to know about his relationship with Kotetsu, as if that was any of her business. She had to remember that no matter what she did, Kotetsu would never notice her hopeless crush on him unless she explicitly told him. _Which of course, she would never do._

He tucked the cell phone back into his pocket and pushed open the door to the hallway. He briskly walked down and back into the living room, where Karina lay on the recliner.

"Alright," he began. "I-" his voice faded as he lay eyes on her. Karina was stretched out on her sides, her legs tucked beneath her. Her arms was crossed protectively over her chest, and her eyes were closed.

"I'm back," he announced firmly. "Are you ready?"

The girl did not respond. Her lips were slightly parted, and some strands of hair were falling against her closed eyelids.

He reached out and gently shook her shoulder, rocking her back and forth. "Karina," he said loudly. Still no response. After only a few moments of his absence, she had already fallen into a deep sleep. _What a kid,_ he thought as he placed his hands on his waist, regarding her wearily. _She can't even stay awake for a few minutes._

He briefly pondered what his next course of action would be. He could always wake her up, but by this time she would probably be too tired or dazed to practice properly. Their session would most likely to have to be postponed until tomorrow. Quite an annoyance, considering that they had spent so much time together during the evening. There were other tasks Barnaby could have been performing; spending time with Karina had not been a high priority on his list. Or that was what he told himself, anyway. Truth be told, he could not be too upset with her; he was far less displeased than he should have been, and that fact alone troubled him.

He considered waking her to inquire her address, and then dropping her off home. Still...she was still in high school, seventeen or eighteen at the most. Although her parents knew she was a superhero, they might not be very enthusiastic to see that their teenage daughter was being returned home unconscious by a man eight years older than her. There were too many questions they might ask, and he was not sure if Karina even told them about the romance storyline. Even if he _was_ Barnaby Brooks, Jr., hero and celebrity, he knew better than to arouse suspicions amongst Karina's family.

He crouched down next to her, and shook her a little more forcefully. "Karina."

"Hmm?" she muttered, opening her eyes briefly.

"We should be practicing right now."

"Oh," she whispered, as if she did not understand what he said. "Oh, right." Once again she closed her eyes.

He sighed. "Do you want me to drive you home?"

"Hmm," she murmured, without opening her eyes.

"You have to tell me your address." He did not even get a response from her at this request.

Trying to get an answer out of her was impossible. He shook his head in half-frustration. He had only been gone for five minutes, at most-how could she have fallen asleep in such a short time? He had to remind himself that it had been a long day for her, he reflected. _For all of us._

His eyes wandered from her still form to the door on the far side of the monitor, the one that led to his bedroom. _She'll have to stay here._

He slipped one arm under the back, the other under her legs. Her head lolled against his shoulder as he carried her from the large space of the living room into the more confined area of his bedroom. It was minimally decorated, with only a chest of drawers on one side of the room, and a nightstand with a digital clock near the bed. A large closet had been built to house his innumerable clothing, most of it given to him free by large companies who wanted him to advertise their products. Another large viewing window took up one whole wall, and the lights of distant skyscrapers twinkled in the distance.

He set her down on his bed, where she immediately shifted back onto her side. She tucked her hands under her head like a child before settling down against the mattress. Barnaby frowned. Usually, whenever Kotetsu insisted on staying over after a night of drinking, the old man would usually bunk down on the floor with a blanket and pillow. Still, he doubted Karina would be satisfied with a place on the floor, though the carpet was fairly thick.

Barnaby took off his jacket and hung it up inside the closet. He took off his shirt and pants, stripping down to his underwear as he placed the clothes neatly back into the closet. Although he usually slept in only his underwear, a brief glance at Karina told him that she would not appreciate waking up next to a half-naked man. He reached into a drawer and pulled out a faded grey t-shirt still emblazoned with the words "Hero Academy". The last time he remembered wearing the shirt had been years ago, back in his physical education class at the Academy; nevertheless, he pulled it over his head before stepping over to the bed.

Even though he had lived alone for his entire adult life, he still preferred beds that were large and spacious. There was plenty of room to fit both him and Karina, and perhaps one or two people besides. He set his glasses down on the nightstand and slipped into bed, Karina stirring near him before she settled back against the mattress.

Barnaby rolled over and closed his eyes. It was usually not difficult for him to fall asleep, but this was a new situation. The last time he slept in the same bed with someone else, it had been with his parents when he was four years old. Although he was not close to Karina-a few feet separated them on the bed-he was still aware of her slow, measured breathing, the weight of her body on the bed, the gentle movements her limbs made as she shifted.

_Something different_, he thought as he settled into a more comfortable position against the large, fluffy pillows. He rolled over, observing the girl as she slept. She must have been tired to sleep this soundly; she hadn't woken even when Barnaby had picked her up. Karina was the second youngest hero after Pao-lin, and it was at times like these that her age truly showed. Between her and Barnaby, there was only eight years between them. _Eight years is too much of a difference._

He brushed some stray stands out of Karina's eyes, letting his fingers linger against her cheek before drawing back. "You're lucky I let you stay over," he told her, knowing that she couldn't hear him. "We'll practice in the morning." He couldn't deny the odd feeling inside him as he watched her rest; it was a little more than curiosity, but a little less than affection. The notion troubled him.

He turned over and closed his eyes once again.

...

She couldn't tell exactly what she had dreamed about, but had a vague notion that it had been about Tiger. It had involved frustration, or anger, or some unpleasant emotion, but beyond that she couldn't remember anything.

Slowly she became aware of her surroundings. The mattress she was lying on was exquisitely soft, and much more comfortable than her own bed at home. The room was totally dark, though there was still some light coming in from the distant skyscrapers that could be glimpsed from the windows.

She was pressed up against a warm body, her head nestled in the crook of his shoulder. Blonde, curly hair. Long eyelashes. One of her hands had found its way onto his chest, and she found herself absently tracing the smooth muscles of his stomach.

_He asked me what my address was, I think._

_ S_he raised her head, trying to become aware of her unfamiliar surroundings. She was lying next to _Barnaby, _in what must have been his own bed, in the middle of the night. _What happened? _she thought dulled as she looked down at her own body. She was still wearing her tan dress and brown stockings, rumpled and wrinkled as they were. Barnaby was clad in a loose t-shirt and stretchy black underwear, it seemed. He was breathing evenly, his blonde head propped against a fluffy pillow.

_Why are we...? I must have fallen asleep in the living room._

Her eyes moved to the small digital clock that stood on the nightsand. The bright red numbers read 3:18 AM-late, but it was never too late to hail a taxi in Stern Bild. She would gather her things and go straight home; it was embarrassing enough that she had fallen asleep, but to end up sleeping in Barnaby's bed _with him in it_...

_We never even got to practice_, she thought as she pushed herself up from the bed, away from his warm body. _What a waste of-_

Next to her, Barnaby shifted, his green eyes opening slightly. Although she was still groggy, she could feel the red blush descend on her face, and was glad that it was dark in the room. He stretched his arms slightly against the mattress, letting out a short groan as his eyes focused on her upright form. "What are you doing?" he asked, his voice heavy with sleep.

"I was just about to leave," she replied, in a small voice. "Look...I'm sorry about falling asleep. I guess we'll have to practice later tomorrow-well, today, technically." She was more embarrassed about sleeping on his shoulder than she was over falling asleep in the first place. "I'll just call a cab. You don't need to drive me home."

Despite his still-sleepy countenance, he knit his eyebrows in confusion. "You don't need to leave," he said simply. "Just stay here. We can practice in a few hours." His voice sounded earnest and without pretense-not a tone she observed from him before.

He did have a point-it would make more sense for her to stay, now that it was early morning anyway. "Are you sure?" she asked him again.

"Of course. This bed is big enough for both of us to sleep in." His half-open eyes regarded her with an inquisitive stare.

His offer did make sense. It was already three in the morning; even if she did return home, she would have a few hours of sleep before she had to meet with him again. By this time, her parents would be in bed-they were used to Karina coming home late or sometimes not at all. That was the nature of the hero business, though she wondered what they would say if they knew she was sleeping over at Barnaby's apartment. _In his bed._

"Alright, I'll stay," she said softly. She slowly settled back onto the bed, near to where Barnaby was sprawled out. "Thanks."

He smiled. "That didn't much convincing."

_No, it didn't._ She decided to ignore his last comment. "I'll wake up in time to practice," she told him as she adjusted the pillow under her. Even as she said it, she was eying Barnaby's shoulder. _He's surprisingly warm._

Barnaby seemed to notice her gaze. "What is it?"

Many boundaries had been crossed in their relationship since Agnes had informed them that they would be romantically involved. Would sleeping in the same bed really make a difference? He had held her in his arms and kissed her, and she was already getting used to that. She found herself tired of playing the responsible girl, the inexperienced girl, when all she wanted was to be herself and to actually enjoy what she was doing. In a few days, they would be suffering the indignity of letting thousands of people watch them kiss on live television. What difference would it make if they became more comfortable with each other in private?

Against her better judgment, she decided to try and get what she wanted. "I didn't think your shoulder would be so comfortable."

He raised an eyebrow at this. "Where you sleeping on it? I didn't notice."

She edged closer to him on the bed, aligning her body with his. Although his face registered a slight surprise, he did nothing as she lay her head against his shoulder once more, her lips lightly brushing against his collarbone. After a few moments Barnaby responded by turning his body towards hers. He placed an arm across her waist and pulled her towards him, closing the distance between them. She was drawn up to his chest, her breasts pushing against the hard muscles of his chest.

She had to admit-the position was relaxing. She had never slept so close to anyone before, and thought it would be difficult for her to adjust. It was surprising how natural it seemed to be so close. _It's because we've been trying this out during our practice sessions_, she told herself. _That's all._

"This is just a convenience," he warned her as she closed her eyes. "Don't get used to this."

She stretched her body against his, arching her back before settling into his light embrace. "Don't worry," she assured him. "I wouldn't let myself fall for someone like you."

...

To be continued.

Note: This chapter was so hard for me to write! It went through 4-5 revisions before I was satisfied. Please comment with any suggestions or constructive criticism, or just to let me know what you liked!


	5. The Invitation

Disclaimer: All Tiger & Bunny elements belong to Sunrise.

Author's note: For the sake of the story, please consider the legal drinking age in Stern Bild to be 18.

Practice

Chapter 5: The Invitation

by archfaith

_This is a bad situation._

Barnaby shifted, bringing his free arm up to smooth back the blonde strands that had fallen into his eyes. It was mid-morning; turning his head, he saw the bright red numbers on the digital clock readi 9:26 AM. Strong sunlight filtered into the room through the viewing window, and the sounds of weekend traffic could be heard from the street below.

He would have risen-if he could. Karina was sprawled all over him, one stocking-clad leg locked between his bare legs, her head firmly resting in the crook of his shoulder. During the course of the night, she had shifted until she was literally on top of him, her dark blonde bangs tickling his cheek. When he finally opened his eyes, only a few minutes before, he found himself embracing her, one arm gently wound around her waist.

_What am I doing?_

He had to admit that his body was responding in a way he couldn't predict. He found himself turned on by the situation, despite the fact that it was last emotion he wanted-or needed-to feel. There were only a few thin layers of clothing separating them...he found himself breathing heavily, his chest moving up and down in a rhythmic beat as Karina groaned slightly against his neck, pushing her breasts against the thin fabric of his t-shirt.

_This could get really embarrassing..._

He quickly decided that he needed to extract himself before Karina woke. He gently lifted her up under the armpits, pushing her off his chest and back down onto the bed. She shifted her leg automatically, despite still being asleep, and this gave him a chance to quickly hop off the bed.

He surveyed himself, and found that it was his turn to blush. He was infinitely glad the girl was still sleeping; he couldn't tell whether she would be horrified or smug if she knew what her presence had done to his body.

_You're really troublesome,_ he thought as he headed to the bathroom, trying to ignore the conflicting feelings inside him that were vying for attention. He closed the door to the bathroom, and quickly stripped off his clothes, folding them neatly into a bundle that he set on the bathroom counter.

He took a long look at himself in the mirror. Even though he was not wearing his glasses, he could still see the lingering patches of red against his cheek, as well as other tell-tale signs that Karina had affected him more than he thought possible...

With a scowl, he quickly stepped into the shower and turned the tap on. The water was, mercifully, as cold as ice.

...

He emerged from the bathroom fifteen minutes later, wearing a red towel wrapped around his waist. His damp hair stayed plastered to his head, and a few stray beads of water collected against the curve of his chest muscles. He observed that Karina was still lying in bed, though her eyes were half-open. At this entrance, she sat up a little, placing an arm against her waist as her eyes widened.

He decided to play off his own discomfort; it would not be wise to let Karina know that she had caused that kind of reaction in him. "Good morning," he said simply.

She sat up and swung her legs out of the bed, sitting up with a yawn and a cat-like stretch of her arms. "Hey Bunny," she responded.

He knit his eyebrows at her use of his nickname, but decided to leave the issue alone. "You can use the bathroom if you like. There are fresh towels in the closet."

She cocked her head slightly, as if she was going to say something. For a few moments he regarded her with a curious stare before she turned away, rising up from the bed and going into the bathroom. "Thanks," she said. "I won't be long."

He frowned as he watched her close the door. She had been the one to place her head on his shoulder in the first place. Yet, he reminded himself, he had perpetuated it by embracing her. Why had he done that? They were colleagues, nothing more. When it came to this ridiculous kissing practice, they were merely actors playing a part. They had never even had a full conversation with each other before Agnes called them into her office last week, and he had known her for almost two years.

He shook his head in frustration before reaching into the a drawer, taking the opportunity of Karina's absence to find fresh underclothes and a t-shirt. He found the a new pair of jeans in the closet and put them on. With the towel still around his neck, he padded into the living room and straight through to the the kitchen, trying to keep his mind off the confusing events of last night.

...

The fresh pot of coffee was nearly done as Karina entered the kitchen. Her hair was damp, but she wore the same clothes as she had the day before. She glanced around as she entered the kitchen, and Barnaby realized this was her first time seeing it. He was not used to showing people around his apartment; the only other person who ever entered the kitchen was Kotetsu, and he knew his way to refrigerator well enough.

"Coffee?" she asked as she strode in. "I thought you didn't keep much food in your apartment."

"I don't," he answered as he reached into a cupboard, pulling out two mugs. "Coffee, tea. Leftovers from when I eat out. Food baskets my sponsors send me."

"You don't cook much, I guess."

"I don't need to," he said. "I live alone. I would end up making too much food for just myself."

"Don't you cook for Kotetsu sometimes?" she asked, leaning on the counter.

He frowned. "Very occasionally." He shut the off button on the coffee machine. "You can make your own cup," he told her. "There's milk in the refrigerator. The sugar is on the counter,"

Karina came over to where he stood and reached for a mug. The next few moments were spent in silence as they prepared their cups. Barnaby preferred a slight bit of milk and only two lumps of sugar, but he noted that Karina used a good amount of milk followed by four lumps. She followed him down to the small round table in the corner of the room. The chairs by the table were mismatched; one was a standard-looking wooden chair with a gray seat cover, while the other was a dingy-looking folding chair that looked like it had seen better days.

"Two chairs?" she remarked as she sat down on the folding chair. "And mismatched?"

Barnaby shook his head. "Kotetsu brought that one," he said, nodding his head to the folding chair. "He kept complaining that he had no place to sit."

They sat quietly for a few minutes, Karina calmly holding her cup in both hands while Barnaby took a tentative sip. Finding it too hot, he set it down to cool for a few minutes.

"Too hot?" she asked.

"A little."

"I can cool it down, if you want." He hadn't noted that her fingertips were faintly blue; she had apparently been using her ice powers to cool the hot liquid.

"It's fine," he answered. "It will cool on its own."

They sat silently for a few more minutes, Barnaby silently contemplating the dark brown coffee swirling inside the mug. Part of him wanted to address what had happened the night before, but part of him wanted to forget it had even happened. He honestly had no idea what he was so embarrassed about. _It's not as if we had a one-night stand_, he thought. Although he had to admit-with their combined inexperience, he and Karina might as well have treated it as such.

Then there was the fact that she had aroused that level of desire in him. He hadn't been lying when he told Agnes that he had no experience with kissing, and therefore sex. But while he had come to terms with the fact that he was attracted to both genders, he had always leaned towards men when it came to more intimate matters. _Until now...?_

He was resigning himself to the fact that it would be an awkward morning when Karina spoke. "I slept well last night," she said as she sipped her coffee.

He raised an eyebrow. "Good," he replied neutrally, testing the mug with a tentative finger. "You seem well-rested."

Karina set the mug down on the table, and averted her eyes to her lap. He waited for another response, but she said nothing more. _Are you only so bold at night?_ he wanted to ask her. Still, he was not sure he wanted to hear the answer.

The entire situation was damning. If they chose to talk about their embrace, they would only be acknowledging that it happened in the first place. It was not that he had been uncomfortable with her touch, or that he hadn't wanted her there. It was that he had actually enjoyed it, and that was what was really unnerved him.

Well, if she was not going to address it, he would not try. He raised the mug to his lips and took a small sip. "We can practice after this," he said, setting the cup down. "Hopefully you won't fall asleep on me." He decided to add the tease to his words, to try to bring their relationship back down to a level they both understood.

Karina scowled as she looked up at him, but he seemed to see a trace of relief in her features as well. "Well, maybe this time you won't get any odd calls as soon as we're about to begin," she answered.

He shook his head, and gave her a genuine smile. "If I do, I'll let them know I'm busy," he told her, and he meant it.

...

"Hey!" Kotetsu's enthusiastic greeting rang out through the walls of the gymnasium. "There you are, Bunny. And Rose, too." His smile seemed a little confused as he came near them, and Karina found herself frowning.

The practice session that morning had gone well-a little _too_ well, in fact. Although kissing was still a new sensation for her, she had gotten quite used to Barnaby's techniques. Since they were both new to this type of intimacy, and she had no precedents to compare it to, they only had their instincts to rely on.

_Instincts. _She had relied on her own instincts when she had tucked her head onto Barnaby's shoulder the night before, and he had responded with a calming embrace. Although it had seemed to be the right idea at the time, she found herself questioning the wisdom of her actions as soon as she had woken up. It had been a comforting position to sleep, but she hadn't considered the fact that they still had to get up and work together the next morning. _As if this kissing practice is _work_..._

Barnaby had not mentioned anything about the night before. He remained, as ever, something of an enigma to her. Although there were slight differences in his demeanor towards her, he was still as guarded about his emotions as he had been before. _As if we didn't sleep in each others' arms last night..._

The sight of Kotetsu didn't help the situation, either. He was standing near the entrance to the gym, filling his water bottle from a fountain as she and Barnaby had entered. "Hi Tiger," she said, trying a smile.

Barnaby was less eager. "Hey, old man," he said simply, triggering a scowl from his partner.

"I thought we were past that already!" he complained loudly. "Can't you just call me 'Kotetsu' permanently?"

"Maybe when you stop calling me 'Bunny'," Barnaby responded, crossing his arms over his chest.

"C'mon, you know you love it!" Kotetsu gave the blonde a slap on the back. "Hey, I have a new routine I tried out yesterday. Change into your work-out clothes and I'll show it to you..."

The pair strode away, leaving Karina to follow them slowly into the gymnasium. It had recently been renovated, with new equipment donated by several of the big fitness companies in a ploy to win over the heroes' organizations. For the most part, it hadn't worked-the CEOs were too savvy to allow petty favors to cloud their judgment. Nathan, in particular, had been most vocal about not letting gifts such as these get to him. Of course, it was easy for him to feel so immune-he was fabulously wealthy himself.

Although the departure of both Kotetsu and Barnaby into the mens' changing area pricked at her for some odd reason, she almost forgot her anxiety as she glimpsed a familiar form jogging towards her, gangly and powerful and full of energy. "Hey Karina!"

Karina smiled. "Hi Pao-lin!" she called as the younger girl stopped in front of her, a grin displayed on her face. She was wearing work-out clothes, and had obviously been exercising for quite some time; beads of sweat collected on her forehead, and she was panting from exertion.

"You're late," Pao-lin said, tucking her hands behind her back.

"Only by ten minutes!" She and Barnaby had been stuck in a midday traffic jam, although that was something she could not admit. She still had not confided in anyone regarding the arrangements she and Barnaby had made with Agnes. It was still so damnably embarrassing for her to admit, even to Pao-lin, whom she had grown to consider one of her best friends.

"Ah, there she is! See, I told you she'd be here soon." Nathan had appeared behind Pao-lin with that smooth smile, and she could practically see the hearts floating above his head.

"Hey Nathan." He may have been older than her, and infinitely more experienced than she was, but there was a camaraderie that had developed between them almost as soon as she had signed her contract with Titan Industries. Nathan had been there for her through every outburst, every tear, all the stressful moments of her early career as a hero. And she would always love him for it.

"So what's up?" Pao-lin inquired innocently.

"The usual," Karina answered. "School, working out, icing down escaped convicts from the Central Prison Facility. You know."

"All work and no play!" Nathan commented, putting a hand on his hip. "Don't work too hard, sweetie. Leave some time for fun!"

_If only you knew..._she briefly considered having a chat with them about the upcoming romance arc, but quickly dismissed the thought in her mind. As much as she trusted them, she could not find an easy way to tell them about the mess she and Barnaby had found themselves in. Nathan and Pao-lin were as familiar with Barnaby as the rest of the heroes-they knew about his double life, his different attitudes towards his fans and behind the scenes. They would almost certainly encourage her to treat this kissing situation as a work project, to hold back her emotions since she didn't know any better.

Truth be told, she never was good at holding back her emotions. She had let Tiger grab a hold of her heart so easily..."I'm going to change. I'll be right back," she told them, and she turned away before they could see her worried look.

...

Practice that morning went quickly. Karina followed the usual routine-treadmill, elliptical, weight-lifting, jumping jacks. She used to find the work-outs arduous and aching, but now she practically breezed through them. Although she still found herself tired and sweaty after her hour-long routine, it was a good kind of tired. At the very least, it helped to take her mind off things that were bothering her.

She slid onto one of the plush couches in the lounge area of the gym, sinking down with an exaggerated sigh as Pao-lin clambered in next to her. "You seem kind of distracted," the younger girl began, looking up at Karina with bright eyes.

Karina had to smile. Pao-lin was still so innocent, even though she was already fifteen-just a year younger than when Karina had signed her contract with Titan. "I just have a lot to think about," she said. "It's nothing."

Nathan had come bustling over, wiping the sweat off his forehead with a glittery purple towel. "Taking a rest, huh?" he asked as he sat down next to Karina. "Well, this is as good a time as any, I guess."

"Hmm?" Pao-lin inquired. "What is it?"

Nathan gave the girls a quick wink. "You'll see." He stood up from the table. "Alright everyone, I have an announcement to make!" he called theatrically. Though he had raised his voice, there was really no need-the gym had excellent acoustics, and his voice carried all the way to the entrance to the men's locker room, where Ivan had been sipping water from the fountain. "Gather over here, please. It's very important!"

"What is it, Nathan?" Keith came striding over, a warm smile set against his chiseled features. "Do you have a new boyfriend?"

"Eh? Keith, please! You should never ask a lady that question!" Nathan replied, in mock surprise.

"So the answer is no?"

"Oh dear." Nathan shook his head. By this time, the remaining heroes had gathered around the table. Ivan slid in next to Pao-lin, ruffling her hair with a brief grin as Pao-lin giggled. Karina felt an odd twinge inside her as she forced her eyes back to the pink-haired man standing next to her.

"You should all consider yourselves lucky," he said with a smile, looking at the heroes standing around the table. "I'm personally extending an invitation to all of you. Tonight is the grand opening of Club Phoenix!"

"Phoenix?" Antonio had crossed his arms over his chest, and was staring at Nathan with an eagle-eyed glare. "Is this another one of your host clubs?"

Ivan chuckled. "I hope this one is better staffed than the one we visited," he said, shooting an amused look at Keith.

Kotetsu raised an eyebrow. "Wait a second...you guys visited one of Nathan's host clubs?"

"Correct, Mr. Wild!" Keith beamed. "Nathan's cafe has the best lemonade in the city."

"Lemonade, huh?" Antonio interjected. "Is that just another term for-"

"Will you all let me speak?" Nathan pouted, summoning his best impression of a diva. "First of all, Keith, I'm flattered you think so well of my lemonade. Secondly, it is _not_ a host club. It's a new lounge. I just closed the deal on it last month, and our grand opening is tonight! I want you all to come!"

"Me too?" Pao-lin piped up.

"Well...sure, dear." Nathan frowned briefly before brightening. "But no drinking for you, got it? We'll lose our liquor license if we served minors!"

"Tonight?" Karina echoed. "Isn't this a bit too sudden?"

Nathan shot her a sweet smile. "Oh honey, come on. Time to be spontaneous. Live a little."

_Hmm_, Karina thought, settling her face in her hands as the rest of the heroes grilled Nathan for information. Although she would normally brush off an invitation such as this, he did have a point. She had turned eighteen last month, and her school friends had been continually asking her out to various clubs and lounges. She had always declined, telling them that she was too tired. But now...

Kotetsu was smiling now as he nodded his head towards Nathan. "Well, as long as drinks are on the house, I'm coming!" he said. "And Bunny is coming too!"

Barnaby shot him a pained look. "Are you answering _for_ me, old man?"

"You broke my heart when you told me 'no' last night!" Kotetsu grabbed his partner's arm. "I wondered what was so important that you couldn't just drop what you were doing to come out!"

The look Barnaby gave her was so quick she wasn't even sure it happened; there was a flash of green, and then it was gone. As the two partners continued to argue, Nathan turned to her. "What do you think, my little Rose?"

She considered reasons to decline, and after a pause she decided that there were none. She was of legal age to drink in Stern Bild. Barring any unforeseen criminal acts, her night was free; she had originally planned on spending the evening watching sitcom reruns with her parents. _How boring, _she thought.

"I've never been to a club before," she began.

"Well, all the better to come!" Nathan said. "Don't worry, your Big Sister will look after you!"

"I'll be there too, Karina," Pao-lin added. "We can just hang out if you don't want to dance or anything." She turned to the blonde boy seated next to her. "Right, Ivan?"

"Sure," he replied enthusiastically. "It's not really my scene, but...I wouldn't mind checking it out."

"Well if Origami is going, I will gladly come along too!" Keith said happily. "I hope this place has good lemonade."

"If you don't mind _hard_ lemonade," Nathan quipped. "What about you gentlemen?"

Antonio still had his arms crossed over his chest, a quizzical look on his face. "It doesn't really sound like something I'd be interested in..."

"Oh come on!" Kotetsu interrupted his argument with Barnaby to stare at his friend. "It's an open bar. How can you say no to that? I'm sure it's much nicer than the dive we went to last night."

"Believe me, it is!" Nathan gave Antonio a seductive wink. "I bet you're just scared I'll try something with you. We-ell," he continued, in a sing-song voice, "I can't promise that I won't, but wouldn't you agree that the benefits outweigh the negatives? Drinks are on the house, Bison!"

Antonio sighed. "Fine, fine," he agreed, and Karina wondered if she would ever know why Antonio put up with Nathan's groping if he claimed to dislike it so much.

Nathan smiled. "And you boys?"

"Well, I'm definitely coming!" Kotetsu nearly roared. "I'm not sure about this little Bunny here..."

Barnaby sighed, clearly looking unhappy about the arrangement. "I'll come as well. I suppose there's no point in arguing."

"Fabulous!" Nathan gushed. "There's a dress code-"

"Wait!" Pao-lin called. "What about Karina?"

All eyes turned towards her, and she felt a sudden warmth creep down from her ears. Barnaby's green eyes regarded her neutrally, although she could sense a hint of amusement buried within. She decided to treat his stare as a challenge.

"Sure," she replied with a smile. "I'll come."

...

To be continued.

Thank you for reading! Please leave me a review with any comments, concerns, questions, or suggestions!


	6. Diversions

Disclaimer: All Tiger & Bunny elements belong to Sunrise.

Practice

Chapter 6: Diversions

by archfaith

"Breathtaking!" Nathan clasped his hands together, looking like a proud pageant mother ready to show off a beauty-queen daughter. "I've never seen you look so grown-up!" Pao-lin, artfully practicing a handstand on a lush square footstool, gave her a wink.

Karina smiled, though she was about as uncertain as she could be. She was used to making herself look older and more mature-she _was _Blue Rose after all-but it had always been in the context of some hero-related event. She would always wear a blue dress provided to her by her sponsors, and her blue wig was always styled in whatever fashion her stylists thought was trendy. But she had never really dressed up as herself-as Karina-before. Of course she had to wear a uniform to school, but weekends usually found her dressed in her familiar tan dress and stockings. Even though she took efforts to make herself look nice when she had gigs at the bar, she had never felt as dressed up as she did now.

Nathan had picked out a short, one-shouldered white dress for her, with matching strappy silver heels. He had helped her curl her hair, and had recommended a color palette to choose for her make-up. She was grateful for his help-he had other things to worry about, after all. Club Phoenix was opening in a matter of minutes, and Nathan had been balancing his time dressing with answering phone calls and texts from his assistants.

"Thanks, Nathan," she said. The older man smiled. He had been putting the finishing touches on his own makeup as she had stepped into her dress.

"It's nothing, babe," he commented. "We girls have to stick together." He eyed himself in the mirror, staring critically at his mouth. "Which lipstick-Deep Sea Coral or Honeydew Melon?"

Pao-lin chuckled. "The coral!" she said enthusiastically as she catapulted off the footstool, turning a somersault in the air before landing on her tiptoes next to Nathan's vanity. Nathan knew the younger girl well enough; he hadn't even bothered to ask her if she'd wanted to wear a dress. Pao-lin was wearing a pair of cuffed black shorts with gray stockings, with a slim yellow blouse completing the ensemble.

They had spent the afternoon dressing up together. Thankfully, Stern Bild was secure for the time being, and the heroes could go about their business with no worries. After the strenuous work-out at the gym, Karina had briefly stopped home to update her parents on her evening plans. It was funny-though she spent much of her time facing life-threatening situations and thwarting hardened criminals, her parents still tried to concern themselves with what she did on her time off. As soon as she had mentioned she would be with Nathan, however, they were satisfied; although they did not quite understand the friendship between a teenage girl and an older gay man, they knew Nathan well enough to trust that Karina would be fine with him.

She had gathered her things and made off for Nathan's swanky bachelor pad atop Helios Energy Towers. The receptionist knew her, and waved her to Nathan's private elevator. On the top floor, she had found the door to his penthouse unlocked, and had stepped right into the opulent living room, replete with a zebra-striped carpet and a hot pink coffee table. Upon opening the door to Nathan's dressing room, the first that greeted her eyes was a rack of expensive-looking dresses, all in her size, next to his closet. Pao-lin had already been trying on outfits from a similar rack, with Nathan critically eying her choices as Karina stepped in.

_It helps to have an older sister,_ Karina thought as she picked out a small white purse from the array displayed on the low table in front of her. Still, she had not asked Nathan for his advice on the situation with Barnaby-it was too embarrassing, too personal. _And he would never stop teasing me for it!_

"Hey Nathan, are you ready?" Pao-lin was now staring at the clock on the vanity table. "It's almost time to open the club!"

"Oh dear me! You're right." Nathan pressed his lips together, smiling as the coral lipstick smoothed into place. He stood up from the vanity and adjusted his jacket. He had really pulled out all the stops for tonight; he was wearing a leopard-print suit, with a hot pink shirt and a red tie. Diamond studs glittered in his ear as he turned to Karina. "Ready, little Rose?"

"Sure," she replied, taking Nathan's outstretched hand. "Let's go."

...

Club Phoenix had been designed to provide an upscale nightclub experience for a high class clientele. It had four main dance floors, all catering to different styles of music, stocked with only the best top-shelf liquor. Besides the dance rooms there was a large parlor, the Red Room, set off to the side. Decorated with plush red booths and high marble tables, it was designed to be an resting area until the next urge to dance came flaring up again. Although it lacked the energy and excitement of the dance rooms, it was a slightly quieter place to stay and chat.

Somehow, Karina found herself in the Red Room, chatting with a bunch of good-looking men. Standing there in her high heels and curled hair, wine glass cradled between her painted fingernails, she felt like someone totally different-not Karina, not Blue Rose, but someone else entirely. After her grand entrance with Nathan, the men had immediately flocked to her. She was used to male attention, but only as Blue Rose-it was much different talking to these men than to her child and middle-aged fans. This type of attention markedly different from the blind adoration afforded to her by Blue Rose's fans. Here, safely anonymous in the middle of the club, she was on equal footing with everyone in the room.

"Where are you from?" one of them, a tall man with red hair, asked her.

"From here, in Stern Bild," she answered, with a smile. Her coaches at Titan had taught her how to flirt, though she rarely used their techniques when she wasn't in costume.

"Oh, I thought you were from some exotic place," another man next to her said. "Not foreign?"

"Really?" This was getting silly. "That's a new-"

"Hey!" A girl's shrill voice sounded over dull noise of the Red Room. A large group of girls had burst into the room, looks of pure excitement on their face. "It's Barnaby Brooks, Jr.! He's _here_!"

"Barnaby?" one of the men standing around her echoed. "No way!"

"It's true!" one of the girls called back. "He just came in through the front entrance."

Karina hadn't expected any mention of Barnaby to have too much of an impact on the men at the party, but she was apparently wrong. "We gotta go take a look!" she heard as the men quickly shuffled away from her without excusing themselves. A celebrity was worth more than a pretty face, it seemed. _I wonder what they'd say if they knew I was Blue Rose_, she thought quickly before pushing the thought out of her mind. It was useless to imagine that she had a public identity-it would be an incredible hindrance to her, and she knew well it. She sighed as she crossed her arms over her chest. Well, it was no matter-she would enjoy herself despite any minor annoyances that sprang up.

In another corner of the room, she spied Pao-lin and Ivan sitting together at one of the booths. Pao-lin waved at her, and she came to sit down next to them. Ivan had slicked his hair back and put on more fitted clothes, though they did not suit him; she was too used to seeing him in his tank top and baggy pants. "Hey Karina!" Pao-lin said. "What's everyone talking about? Did something happen?"

Karina shook her head as she sat down. "Looks like Barnaby has finally arrived," she told them. "It figures, huh?"

Ivan cocked his head. "It must be hard having your identity public like that," he said. "I get enough flames on my blog that I'd lose it if people knew what I really looked like!"

"He told that he doesn't mind it, apparently," Karina said absently, fingering the clasp on the silver bracelet Nathan had lent to her. "It's opened up a lot of opportunities for him."

"He told you that?" Pao-lin asked. "When?"

Karina's eyes widened. "Uh, it was just something I heard him say to Tiger in the gym. Not specifically to me," she added quickly.

"Hmm, okay." Pao-lin eyed her for a moment before moving on. "Anyway, did you see that girl in the transparent dress earlier? I think she's some kind of internet celebrity..."

The conversation quickly drifted to more topical themes, though Karina had to confess that she only knew half the things Pao-lin and Ivan were talking about. Although Pao-lin was one of her dearest friends, and she had known Ivan for the better part of two years, the two still shared a bond that she could never be a part of. They shared many common interests, notably in martial arts styles and a obsessive love for vintage ninja movies. Nathan often teased Pao-lin about setting up a possible date for her and Ivan, but the younger girl had only blushed and shook her head.

Speaking of Nathan, she was fairly certain that the older man had something up his sleeve in regards to playing matchmaker. She could make out his tall frame from among the sea of attendees; he had entered the Red Room in a flurry of commotion, blowing kisses to the women and smiling at the men. After a few minutes, he spied his fellow heroes from across the room, and headed over to where they were sitting.

"What is going on here?" Nathan asked as he reached their table. "I see all of you wallflowers just sitting here! Need I remind you that this is a club? And that we _dance _at a club?"

Nathan grabbed Pao-lin's hand and nearly pulled her up out of the seat. "Whoa!" the younger girl called out. "Wait just a minute!"

"No excuses!" Nathan told her firmly. "You too, Ivan!" he shouted at the blonde boy. "Unless you want those pictures of you and Keith at Masurao time to end up on your blog..." Karina assumed that Nathan was talking Keith and Ivan's ill-fated visit to his host club a few months back; come to think of it, she had never really asked Nathan what happened that time...

A defeated-looking Ivan stood. "Fine, fine!" he told the older man. "I'll come for a little bit."

"And you, Karina!" Nathan cried. "You're probably the best dancer in this bunch."

Karina gave him a smile. "I dance enough on TV!" she replied playfully. "Can't I get a break?"

Although she should have known better, in a few seconds she was holding onto Pao-lin's hand as Nathan determinedly dragged them though the Red Room. "I've never danced before!" Pao-lin exclaimed. "I bet it will be terrible."

"Don't be so scared," Karina assured her. "It's not as hard as you think. Just go with the music."

The dance floor was crowded with patrons, and the music was nearly deafening as they reached the edge of the crowd. "Well, get to it!" Nathan commanded, nearly hurling Ivan into the fray. "You too, hon," he said more gently, as he patted Pao-lin on the back. "Try to get to the middle, now-that's where the fun is!" he called as the two heroes were unwittingly swallowed up by the sea of people.

Karina crossed her arms over her chest. "You really think this is going to make them a little less shy with each other?"

Nathan gave her a sly wink. "They're two like-minded souls in an unfamiliar environment, surrounded by people they don't know. Of course it will!" He smiled confidently. "Come on, let's get something to drink."

She slipped her hand into his and they crossed through the room, careful to avoid the tipsy men and women who were sidling past. "Good evening, gentlemen," Nathan called, smiling sweetly at some interested-looking men in the corner. "Tracey! Good to see you!" to a petite woman standing by a pillar. "Olivia! How are the treatments going?"

Nathan was a businessman, that was certain, she thought as she accompanied him to the large bar area. He was good at wheedling people, unabashed in flattery. Still, there was a certain genuineness to his actions-he never tried to hide who he was, or what he was doing. Nathan's demeanor stayed the same no matter where he was, whether it closing business deals for Helios or rescuing people as Fire Emblem. Although he could be unpredictable at times, his personality was far more stable than Barnaby.

_Barnaby. _Why was she thinking of him again? Her throat tightened as she neared the bar area, where the rest of the heroes had congregated. Keith and Antonio were leaning back with drinks, talking as they observed the party. There was a marked difference in their demeanor, however; while Keith looked animated and happy, Antonio seemed suspicious and unsure of his surroundings. Kotetsu occupied the bar stool next to Antonio, and was leaning against his friend as he sipped a tall glass of beer. Barnaby was talking to a small bunch of girls who had gathered around him, and Karina could see that he was signing accessories they pressed on him-a high-heeled shoe, a scarf, anything they could get their hands on.

Kotetsu brightened as he saw them come near. He had traded his green shirt and white-fronted vest for a simple black shirt, though he was still wearing his trademark spectator shoes. "Nathan!" he cried out, smiling and raising his glass to them. "Karina!"

Karina smiled, and tried not to be embarrassed. "Hey Tiger," she said. "Having fun?"

"Of course!" the older man answered happily, giving her a lopsided smile. "But why aren't you out there dancing with some cute guys? Haven't they been after you all night?"

At this, Karina couldn't help but blush. "Well...I don't know. Maybe."

Tiger's smile only deepened, and she found herself wishing she could work up the nerve to ask him to dance. "Well, if no one asks you to dance, maybe I'll show you some of the new moves I've learned since our dance lessons together!"

Her heart skipped a beat. "As if you knew how to dance!" she answered, trying not to look excited.

"Hey!" Kotetsu set his drink down on the bar and put up his hands. "If I'm not good enough, maybe Bunny here can dance with you instead."

Karina felt her heart sink a little as Barnaby, seemingly finished with his autographs, gave his fans one last grin before turning to them. "I think not," he said simply, regarding both Karina and Kotetsu with a neutral gaze. For once, it seemed, he had decided to tone down his look; he was dressed in a red shirt and slim black pants.

"Enjoying the party, Handsome?" Nathan inquired, and it was perhaps the first time that Karina thought the nickname really fit Barnaby.

"I have to admit, inviting me was a great publicity generator," Barnaby answered. "Well done."

"Well of course I'd want you to come. Your very presence is putting Club Phoenix on the map," Nathan replied.

_Ah, so that's why he invited us,_ Karina thought. _No wonder._

"Well, let's have another round!" Nathan called out triumphantly. An apron-clad bartender immediately appeared in front of the bar. "Give these people anything they want. Put it on my tab!"

Nathan set off to greet his other patrons as the bartenders went about gathering up drink orders. Kotetsu had already settled into a light conversation with Antonio and Keith, grinning and chuckling as he talked to them about some trivial matter. Although Karina had admittedly not expected much notice from Kotetsu, it still pricked at her every time he raised her expectations only to let her down again. Slightly downtrodden, Karina found herself turning back to Barnaby.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" she asked, not quite knowing to say to him.

"I suppose," he answered. "It's as enjoyable as any of these publicity events will ever be."

"You could have refused to come, you know."

He gave her a sharp look. "My presence is giving a huge boost to the club's opening night. I wouldn't have refused."

"You did it as a favor to Nathan, you mean."

He raised an eyebrow. "You could say that," he answered. "What do you want to drink?"

There was a small, stand-up menu set on the bar table. She moved closer to him and picked it up, quickly perusing the available contents. The names of the drinks were unfamiliar to her, and she found herself feeling a little lost amongst the pictures and descriptions. "I don't know," she admitted. "What are you having?"

"I usually drink wine," Barnaby answered, taking the menu from her. Their fingers touched slightly as she handed it to him, and she felt a quick surge of anxiety come over her. _What's wrong with me?_ she thought.

"Recommend something to me," she asked, trying to get the odd ideas out of her head.

"It depends on what you prefer," Barnaby answered. "Try this one. I ordered it earlier."

She hadn't noticed the thin flute of wine on the table next to him. He picked it up and handed it to her. The wine was slightly sweet, with a hint of tartness towards the end. "It's not bad," she responded, handing it back to him. It occurred to her that she had just sipped from the same glass he was drinking from. What difference did it make, though? They had been kissing each other since last week, at any rate. "I guess I'll try it."

"I'll order one for you," Barnaby replied. The bartender took his order, and in a few minutes appeared with a new glass of wine, setting it on the counter as he hurried away to collect the other patrons' requests. As Karina came closer to the bar and reached across the counter to take it. As she tried to grasp the glass's stem, her hand slipped slightly, causing the drink to shake and wobble.

_No_, she thought simply as she watched the glass shatter onto the table, splashing the red liquid onto the front of her new white dress.

For a moment she stood there, mortified, staring in horror at the large, ugly, stain on her dress as the other patrons near her stopped to stare.

_Great, _she thought as she looked down at herself. Although she was trying to stay calm and collected, the less-than-amazing events of the night were starting to take its toll on her demeanor. _Calm down_, she told herself. _It's just a bad night._

It seemed like an eternity before she noted Kotetsu's concerned face rising out of the crowd, coming towards her. She seemed to barely hear him above the loud beats of the music; she saw his mouth move, saw his worried eyes, but heard nothing. "What?" she asked.

"You're hurt!" he said. His fingers grasped her right wrist, raising it to her face. She saw the thick stream of blood, the jagged glass shard embedded in her palm, and suddenly felt like shrinking into the floor. She hadn't noticed the pain at first-she had been more concerned over her dress-but now she felt it acutely and swiftly. A sharp, throbbing ache caused her hand to twitch in Kotetsu's grasp, and she pulled it away in mortification.

"You have to get this out of your hand!" Kotetsu told her, frowning.

"Y-yeah," she stammered, still stunned. Although she was trying to deny the scene that had just unfolded in front of her, she knew that she had to get out of there. _Quickly._

Clutching her injured hand to her chest, she turned and maneuvered her way through the curious crowd as fast as she could, avoiding eye contact with all the people she passed. The bleeding girl in the stained dress-what a headline for tomorrow's papers, she thought grimly. Although she heard murmurs of sympathy and confusion, she kept moving until she had found her way back to the entrance of the club. The sleek, modern lobby was filled with ushers and people who were just arriving; no one noticed as she quickly ducked into a small, nondescript door near the coat check area, taking care not to leave any blood on the door knob as she went in.

Behind the door was a short, dimly-lit hallway, at the end of which was a secret elevator connected to Nathan's penthouse. She, Nathan, and Pao-lin had used it to enter the club only a few hours before. _Just have to go change and clean myself up, _she thought in frustration as she nearly tripped over her own heels. _The night isn't over yet..._

Behind her, the door opened and closed. She turned around, patience running low. "Nathan, I'm sorry," she began. "I-"

Barnaby stepped forward, his face calm, and she couldn't believe what she was seeing. "What are you doing here?" she asked sharply.

The look on his face was unreadable. "I came to see if you were alright," he said. "You shouldn't have run off like that."

"In case you haven't noticed, I need to get this glass out of my hand," she spat out, although she realized too late that her words were more harsh than she initially meant.

He shook his head as he came towards her. "I'm guessing that you're going up to the penthouse?"

She nodded. _What is he getting at?_

"I'll come with you." He moved closer to her as a look of confusion formed on her face.

"Why?" was the only question she could muster.

"You might need help with the shard. And you'll probably need help with the bandages."

He was likely right in his assumptions. A sudden pain shot through her hand, and she clutched it closer to her chest. "Alright," she agreed. "Let's hurry."

Even through her pain and embarrassment, she couldn't help but wonder why exactly he felt the need to come with her. Her thoughts immediately wandered back to the events of the night before, and she felt an odd relief as she walked down the narrow hallway, Barnaby following her. Somehow-and she did not to admit this, even to herself-she was fine with him coming along. Although she did not turn around, the firm feel of his hand against her back as they neared the elevator was strangely comforting._ I just hope this doesn't turn out to be as awkward as last night._

..._  
_

To be continued.

Author's note: I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter. Please feel free to respond with anything you feel like saying!


	7. Offers

Disclaimer: All Tiger & Bunny elements belong to Sunrise.

Practice  
Chapter 7: Offers

by archfaith

The elevator door opened and Karina stepped out, still clutching her injured hand to her chest. Barnaby followed her into the unfamiliar space of the hallway, with its lush red carpeting and hot pink walls. Across from the elevator was a door, and he watched as she reached into her clutch purse and pulled out a small key with a heart-shaped shaft. In a few seconds she had unlocked the door, and they advanced inside.

"You have a key to Nathan's penthouse?" he asked as she flipped on a light switch near the door.

"He trusts me enough," she said curtly. "Let's see..." her voice trailed slightly as she walked across the room. "He must have a pair of tweezers in his dressing room."

Although Barnaby was quite used to luxurious surroundings-his apartment, though sparse, was still furnished with only the highest quality items-his tastes were quieter, more refined. Nathan's style of luxury was loud and showy; the thick carpets in the living room were of a black-and-white zebra print pattern, and the couches and chairs were upholstered in magenta. The entire apartment seemed like a wild explosion of color and patterns; fresh flowers in brightly-colored vases, animal-print curtains, abstract paintings framed on the walls.

_Just like Nathan,_ he thought as he followed Karina to the back of the penthouse, past the living room and breakfast nook. He had to admit-over time, he had grown to enjoy Nathan's company. Although the man was still something of an enigma to him-Nathan never discussed much about his past, beyond his dating exploits in high school-it was clear that he was unexpectedly shrewd. He was the CEO of his own company, after all, and that was something to be admired.

He followed Karina into what must have been a dressing room, a lush area with a vanity table and large mirror off to one side. A portable rack of expensive-looking dresses was pushed into a corner of the room, and a large selection of purses and handbags were laid out on a low table next to them.

"Your things?" he asked as they walked past.

"Nathan ordered them for me." Karina's eyes still looked grim as she tightened her hold on her injured hand. "I'll pick out something new to wear later."

The dressing room led to a bathroom the size of a small apartment, with its most obvious feature being a large jacuzzi tub in the corner of the room. Fluffy pink towels hung on the racks, and zebra-patterned vases sported large, fragrant flowers. In a corner of the bathroom, Karina reached into a small closet, pulling out a first-aid kit with antiseptic, bandages, and cleaning pads. After fishing around in another drawer for a few minutes, she produced a new pair of tweezers still in its plastic wrapping.

He came forward to ease the tweezers out of their wrapping as Karina washed her hands in the sink, letting the blood drain into the bowl. "You know your way around Nathan's apartment," he remarked as he threw the empty wrapper into a wastebasket.

"I've been here often enough," she answered as she looked down at her hand. Although it was now free of blood, the shard was still clearly visible in the center, framed by ragged pink flesh.

"Give me your hand," he said. She offered it to him, and he scanned the wound before taking up the tweezers. "I'll make it quick."

Karina nodded gravely, though she let out a sigh as he studied the shard once again. He gripped the tweezers, and deftly tightened his grip on the prongs. The tweezers grasped the shard, and he pulled his hand back. He felt her hand tremble slightly as he pulled the glass out, though she said nothing.

He lay the bloody shard and tweezers in the sink. "Keep your hand stretched out," he told her as he reached into the first aid kit. He took out an antiseptic pad and some bandages. Ripping off the paper wrappings, he unfolded the pad and took hold of her hand once more, cleaning the small gash.

"Thanks," she said simply as he wiped the blood off. "I appreciate the help."

He shook his head as he turned to throw the soiled pad into the trash can near the sink. He unrolled a length of the bandage and ripped it off, wrapping it tightly around the wound as she held still. "Next time, be more careful about spilling things," he scolded lightly. "One would think you'd be a little more graceful. You _are_ Blue Rose, after all."

He finished tying the bandage with a neat bow. "I guess that's supposed to be some kind of back-handed compliment," she said, frowning. "But thanks for coming with me."

He cocked his head. "It's nothing," he replied. Why had he bothered coming up with her, anyway? It wasn't as if Karina had never been injured before. As heroes, one of the only certain things about their line of work was that they would sustain injuries. He had seen Karina with much worse wounds than this, during some particularly hazardous missions that had left the rest of the heroes winded and exhausted. _It was just a scratch on the hand, really..._

Karina looked down at her soiled dress, the red splotch of wine mingling deep into the expensive white threads of the fabric. "I guess I'll have to change," she said. "Although to tell you the truth, I'm not in a hurry to go back down, anyway."

"Neither am I." Events like these were quite boring; in the two years since he had debuted in Stern Bild, he had literally been invited to hundreds of events like these. He had dutifully attended as many as he could, with the subtle prodding of Lloyds and Maverick-magazine launch parties, award show dinners, fabulous events with famous people whom he didn't know or care about. He had decided to attend the Club Phoenix opening out of a respect for Nathan; since Barnaby was the only hero whose identity was public, he knew his presence would automatically elevate the club as a place to be seen. The paparazzi would make sure of that; his picture would be in the tabloids tomorrow morning, along with his female fans gushing about their autographs on social networks.

He followed Karina out of the bathroom and into the dressing room, where she surveyed the rack of dresses near the vanity. "I guess I'll pick something new out," she said critically, placing her uninjured hand on her hip. "I'll meet you back downstairs in a few minutes."

He had to admit, the thought of heading back down to the Club, with its throbbing music and drunk patrons, was not in the least appealing at the moment. "I'll wait for you in the living room," he offered.

Her eyes widened as his suggestion. "Alright," she answered neutrally. "Thanks."

...

_Everything okay?_ Kotetsu's texts had not exactly reached the frantic level they became whenever he was worried about something. He had been the first one to start heading after Karina after her mishap with the wine glass; the one thing Barnaby hadn't admitted to Karina was that he had stopped the old man, telling him not to worry.

_I'll go after her_, he had told Kotetsu. _It will be good for my image if people saw that I went to make sure an injured girl was alright. _That was what he told himself, anyway.

He texted back. _Yes. Karina's changing._ Barnaby leaned back against the fluffy pillows of Nathan's enormous couch. This was a new situation for him-waiting for someone. As a star student of the Hero Academy, he had never waited for anyone. The girls, and some of the guys, would always be eager to ask him out for a coffee or dessert after class. They would wait for him in the hallway after classes ended, tagging shyly after him as he went to put his books away. Later, in the glitzy world of HeroTV, he was surrounded by all sorts of people who waited for him. Stylists, coaches, interviewers, all pandering to him. All waiting.

Even Kotetsu had waited for him, in a way. Barnaby had been so sure that Kotetsu would tire of his two-faced act eventually. But somehow, he and the old man had grown closer through the hardships they had faced together, as heroes and as friends.

_I owe him a lot,_ he thought as he looked around the apartment. _He had to wait a long time for me to come around. _The fact that he had been so open to Barnaby, so genuine, had only made Barnaby's affections for him grow. If things had only turned out differently, perhaps he and Kotetsu could have been more than partners, behind the scenes...

He was jolted out of his reverie when the door to the dressing room opened, and Karina stepped out. She was now wearing a sleeveless black dress, slightly longer than the previous one, with matching high heels and dangling black pearl earrings. He had to admit-she did look attractive. Without the clamor of the club below, he could really see how she looked-the graceful way she moved towards him, the slight pout of her lips, her large eyes.

"Thanks for waiting," she said as she stepped out.

"It's nothing," he said again.

She crossed the room and came to sit down next to him on the couch, crossing her legs as she leaned back into the soft cushions. "I think I'll wait a bit before heading back down," she said, looking down at her bandaged hand. "It still hurts a bit."

"It's not as bad as it could have been. Let me see it again." With a slight hesitation he held out his hand to her; after a few seconds she gave in, placing her hand against his.

With his free hand he gently examined her hand, gently turning it over in his hands as he traced the bandage wound around her fingers. He gently bent her fingers one by one, ensuring that they were working properly. "You're fine," he said critically. "It should take a few days to heal."

They sat in silence for a few minutes as he gently soothed her hand, rolling her fingers between his own. Although there was no real restorative property in the action, he at least figured that she would derive some comfort from it. Her hands were soft, though her skin was slightly cool against his. Although he was used to the coolness of her lips when he kissed her, it had taken him a while to accept that Karina's body temperature was lower than normal, considering her NEXT abilities.

"I think you can handle it from now."

She cocked her head. "I could have handled it by myself from the start," she insisted. "You're the one who offered to come with me."

"You needed the help," he replied. _Had she? _

She shook her head insistently, though she said nothing more. A few seconds passed; though he was loath to admit it, he felt his heart move a little faster in his chest, felt his pulse quicken. _Such a clich__è__,_ he thought. Time to get going before something irrational occurred. Determined not to let it end in the same way as the undeniable awkwardness of the night past, he was about to stand up and leave when she spoke.

"You can let go of my hand now, you know."

It was true; although he had finished his short examination, her hand had settled comfortably against his. He realized, with some consternation, that he had been absently stroking it for the past few minutes. He looked over to her, and found that she was watching him intently, her lips slightly parted. She looked almost curious as they stared at each other, and he wondered how his expression appeared to her.

"I didn't realize I was still holding it."

A sudden impulse took hold of him then, and though he halfheartedly tried to stifle it, he found that it was too easy to ignore it. With his free hand he reached out and cupped her chin, bringing her face close to his. The touch of their lips was quick, barely lasting a few seconds before they pulled away.

He regarded her for a few moments before leaning in close once again. This time the kiss was less restrained; he wrapped his arms around her waist, fingers drumming against her back as she brought her arms up to wrap around his neck. Despite their repeated practice sessions, the techniques they had studied with each other, the timing of their movements-it all seemed to melt away in an instant. His movements toward her were jerky, slightly awkward, and he felt her slight hesitation as she gently adjusted herself, hooking one of her stocking-clad legs over his to bring them closer together.

_Not a camera-worthy kiss, _he thought as he ran his fingers down her thigh, eliciting a shudder from her. _Just a kiss._

When they pulled away, he stared evenly at her for a few moments as he tried to steady his breathing. They were both breathing heavily, almost panting. She was nearly sitting on his lap and he had both arms locked around her. Although he had been caught up in the heat of the moment, the quick realization of what had just occurred was now filtering into him, filling him with an anxious confusion.

He struggled to find something to say; although he was so good with words when he spoke to his fans or sponsors, he could not find the phrases he was searching for. The emotion was there, but there was no way for him to express him-it was still new to him, so alien. _How do I...?_

He relaxed his grip around her, bringing one arm in front of him to grasp her firmly by the arm. "This is _not good._"

Karina lay a hand against his shoulder tentatively, lowering her eyes to her lap. "No. Not at all," she agreed.

He shook his head in frustration. "We're getting too carried away by this romance arc angle. I..." his voice faded as he struggled to find the right words to express himself. "Listen. We were never friendly to each other before this."

She cocked her head. "You don't need to tell me again," she reminded him. "I remember." Her hand gently traced the outline of his shoulder muscles, taut against the red shirt.

"Then you know that this romance angle is just a fabrication. It isn't as if we could have real feelings for each other."

"Of course I do," she said, frowning. She turned away from him. "I know you don't like where this is going. Neither do I."

It was such an odd feeling-holding her against him, feeling her solid and cool in his lap, brought a sudden comfort to him. At the same time, he knew the feelings were irrational. _I'm just reacting to the physical side of it,_ he told himself. "If this is going to work, we need to hold back," he said firmly.

She looked back to him, and he felt her fingers tangle themselves in his hair. "Hold back our emotions, you mean?"

"Yes. All these things we've been doing-the practice sessions, the time spent together-it's-"

"-all just for the show. I know that," she insisted. "I'm not trying to argue with you."

"Then I think I'm right in saying that we're acting on an instinctual level here," he said. "Neither us of have had experience with intimacy before."

"So you're saying that we-" Here, she stopped to consider. "We?" she repeated as she gave him a curious look. "Bunny, are you admitting that you-"

"I'm not admitting to anything. And get my name right-it's Barnaby," he said firmly, though he felt a wave of embarrassment begin to manifest itself deep inside him. "I'm just saying that we need to be careful with this. We're clearly not compatible in real life."

She sighed as she shifted slightly on his lap. "You're right," she conceded. "I hardly even know you. I don't know what I was thinking last night when I slept on your shoulder."

He shook his head. "I contributed to it when I put my arms around you."

"I was surprised you did."

"It was an instinct." _I did it because I liked the way you felt against me_. "Meaningless actions can cause emotions sometimes." His mind wandered back to their sleeping position the night before, and he quickly struggled to push the memory away.

Karina shifted against him, pushing herself out of his lap and settling back onto the couch. "I never thought I'd be having this talk with you, of all people," she began. "I guess what we need to do is cool this down."

"That sounds about right," he replied. "We're meeting with Agnes in two days. I suggest that we take time off from these practice sessions. I think she'll be satisfied with what we have to show her."

Karina nodded. "I think so too," she replied. She stood up again, smoothing out her dress. "I guess we should get going back downstairs."

He stood as well. "Good idea," he told her. Unsure how to provide a satisfactory ending to the awkward conversation they had just engaged in, he decided to leave it. "Let's go."

...

Somehow, Karina couldn't take her mind off the events of the hours before. Barnaby had kissed her with no warning, with no indication except the fact that he had never let go of her hand. And she had enjoyed it. The entire situation was so confusing that she found herself developing a headache from trying to keep her emotions in check.

Even though they had agreed that they could not let their emotions interfere with their onscreen performance, it was getting unbearable. She had the sense that Barnaby was struggling with his feelings as well, and it only made her more uncomfortable. Common sense would dictate that if two people were developing strong feelings towards each other, they could act on it. _Right?_

There was nothing keeping them from each other. _Except that the fact that he's Barnaby Brooks, Jr, of all people!_

Without a word, they had taken the elevator down from Nathan's penthouse, back to Club Phoenix. By this time, the other heroes had congregated near the bar, noting Karina and Barnaby's absence. They had all seemed relieved to see her return, although Nathan raised an eyebrow when he saw Barnaby approaching behind her. The rest of the heroes didn't seem to notice much; Kotetsu, in particular, had complimented her new dress. She had blushed and accepted his praise, although the full effect of his words had been dulled after her kiss with Barnaby only a few minutes before.

_What's wrong with me? _she asked herself over and over, as she felt a wave of tension rush through her as Barnaby greeted yet another gaggle of squealing girls who wanted his autograph. She sat down at the bar next to Kotetsu as Barnaby took out a black pen, ready to make his fans happy.

"You sure you're okay?" Kotetsu asked her, peering down at her bandaged hand. He set the tall glass of beer down on the bar table and reached out to touch the bandages. Karina felt an electric current rush through her as his fingers brushed her palm. "Bunny took good care of you, I see!"

"He did," Karina acknowledged. "Sorry I ran away."

Kotetsu gave her a lopsided smile. "We all make mistakes!" he announced, as if he were proud of the fact. "Next time, just brush it off and make it look like it was intentional."

"Is that the excuse you tell yourself when you mess up?" she asked with a chuckle.

"Of course! No use in making yourself feel bad," the older man replied. "C'mon, I'll buy you a drink. Don't get carried away though...you're young yet."

"Tiger!" she exclaimed as he signaled to the bartender. "I'm eighteen. I can handle it."

"Right, right," he said as the bartender neared. "Don't try to grow up so fast, Rose!"

She couldn't help but wrinkle her nose at this statement. Her own childhood had been a whirlwind; at age ten she had discovered that she was a NEXT. By fourteen she had signed with a hero recruitment agency, and at sixteen she had signed a contract with Titan to debut as Blue Rose. She had spent the last two years trying to pass herself off as an icy seductress when all she was was a high school student who enjoyed playing the piano.

The bartender set the glass down on the table. The drink was blue-colored, with a little umbrella perched in it. "What's this?" she asked as she gingerly picked it up.

"It's a special drink. Nathan told me it was called a 'Cutie Escape'." Kotetsu smiled. "Just like your special move!"

Karina sighed. The old man could be _so_ dense at times. As if she needed to be reminded of her embarrassing, company-mandated special moves. Reminding herself to have a talk with Nathan about the drink names later, she held it up. "Cheers?"

"Cheers!" Kotetsu said as they clinked their glasses against each other.

...

Although she had promised Kotetsu that she wouldn't get carried away, a few hours later she found herself leaning on Nathan's shoulder, with the older man's arm tight around her as he guided her down the hallway to the penthouse elevator. Pao-lin was holding onto her hand, and Karina made a mental note to ask her how dancing with Ivan had gone.

Nathan was casually chatting on his cell phone as they stepped inside. "Oh darling, it went fabulously!" she heard him announce to his unknown caller, most likely one of his investors. "We're closing up shop now...you won't believe how much cash we raked in! Having one of Stern Bild's most eligible bachelors helped, of course...yes, yes. Well, get some rest. Ta-ta!"

"So I'm assuming it went well?" she asked as he tucked his phone into his pocket.

"Better than well, little Rose," he told her, squeezing the tip of her nose."I think you had too much of a good time, sweetie," he chided as they walked into the elevator. "How much did you have?"

"Not that much, Nathan!" she complained, though she felt a little dizzy. "Just a few drinks..." _I think it was a few drinks_...she thought as she tried to go over the events of the night, she found that she had lost track of how many she had actually had. She had spent the remainder of the night chatting with Kotetsu about his younger days, and he had seemed happy enough to regale her with stories about his debut as Wild Tiger. Keith and Antonio had stepped in at some point to share their own stories, though she did not remember their tales half as well as she remembered Tiger's.

_He really does love his wife..._

Although she couldn't see Nathan's face, she could imagine his smile. "Lightweight," he teased. He turned his head around. "Pao-lin, honey, hold the elevator for Handsome and Tiger, will you?"

_Handsome? Tiger?_ Despite her tired state, a fierce curiosity gripped her. "Wait...Kotetsu and Barnaby are coming up with us?" she asked.

"It looks like your old man has tired himself out," Nathan commented with a grin. Karina raised her head to see Pao-lin holding open the door to the elevator as Barnaby appeared in the long hallway. Although she shouldn't have been surprised, she noted that he was carrying an unconscious Kotetsu in the famous princess style that all the tabloids had been so fond to photograph.

"Thanks, Nathan," Barnaby said as he stepped into the elevator, Kotetsu's head lolling against his shoulder. "I thought he could control himself for just one night, but it turns out I was wrong."

"Psh," Nathan commented as the door closed. "It was a night for all of us to enjoy. Some more than others, I see."

"Will there be room for everyone, Nathan?" Pao-lin piped up. "I can sleep on the floor if there's not enough space!"

"Nonsense, babe," Nathan answered. "I have two guest suites ready. Karina is staying in one. You can sleep in my room, with me. As for you boys-" he said, noting Barnaby and his sleeping partner, "you can sleep in the other guest suite."

"Thanks, but I won't be staying," Barnaby responded. "I'm just dropping him off. I should be getting home."

"Suit yourself, Handsome," Nathan said with a shrug. "Thanks for coming, though."

Barnaby nodded. "It was no problem."

Karina stayed silent throughout the exchange, although she felt an odd feeling well up inside her as she watched Barnaby shoulder Kotetsu's lanky frame. In a few moments, the elevator door opened, and the heroes stepped out into the lush hallway that led to the penthouse. Nathan quickly opened the door, Karina still hanging onto his arm, as Pao-lin followed. Barnaby followed them, Kotetsu shifting in his arms.

"I'll get my things out of the guest suite," Pao-lin announced. "Barnaby, you can put Tiger down in here!"

"Right," Barnaby said as he followed Pao-lin into the room. Briefly wondering how the girl could be so energetic and vibrant so early in the morning, Karina gently let go of Nathan's arm.

"Off to bed, pretty girl?" he asked her. "Did you have a good time?"

"I did," she answered, and was only half a lie. "Thanks for the fun night, big sister."

He blinked. "Not your scene, I know. But you did well for trying." He leaned forward to give her a delicate kiss on the cheek. "Good night, Karina."

...

Fifteen minutes later she was lying down in bed, feeling like a little girl enveloped in lush yellow cushions. Nathan had designed his particular suite to in tropical style, complete with pineapple pillows, palm tree lampshades, and parrots on the windows. Though it bordered on ridiculous for her tastes, she appreciated the showy luxury of it all. _Maybe now I get my mind off what happened last night..._

Clad only in a tank top and underwear, she had just closed her eyes when a knock sounded on her door. She sat up, puzzled. _Pao-lin? Nathan? _

Expecting to see either of her familiar companions, she did not bother to cover herself as she went to the door. "Hey, what's-"

Barnaby stood in the doorway, looking as uncomfortable as she was surprised. "Uh-" she said quickly, her eyes widening. "Barnaby?"

"You weren't sleeping?" he asked in a whisper.

"I was about to," she replied, before remembering that she was only in her underwear. "Did we get a call or something?" she asked, trying not to appear embarrassed. _My wristband hasn't sounded..._

"No," he replied. "I just wanted to let you know that I was leaving."

"Okay..." she said, not really knowing how else to comment. "Tiger's sleeping, I guess?"

"Of course. Passed out," Barnaby sighed. "He should be a little more responsible."

"Then he wouldn't be the same guy we all know and love," she said dryly. She threw a quick look over to the coconut-shaped digital clock on the nightstand. "It's already four in the morning. You _could _just stay."

"I already told Nathan I was leaving." He leaned against the doorway, eyes narrowed. "Besides, my idea of a good night's rest is _not_ sleeping next to that drunken old man."

She sighed. "Are you sure?" she asked. "I bet he wouldn't mind cuddling up to his precious Bunny."

He did not seem amused. "I suppose I should have just left. Goodnight."

He turned to go. "Wait," she found herself calling to him. "If you don't want to sleep next to Tiger, you can..." she felt herself getting red again, and prayed that it was dark enough for him not to notice. "...you can stay with me."

"And repeat last night?" he asked swiftly, looking annoyed. "I thought we already had a discussion about not letting our feelings get in the way of work."

Her mind wandered back to their agreement of the earlier night, and she frowned. "We did," she said carefully. "It doesn't have to mean anything."

He regarded her for a few moments before eventually shaking his head. "Fine." He pushed open the door and came inside, shutting it gently. "Last night I told you that this was all just for convenience," he said as he began to unbutton his shirt. "It still is."

"Oh, I remember," she said, trying to hide the sudden excitement that had suddenly risen within her. "Though I have to say, it wasn't too hard to convince you to stay." An impulse propelled her forwards, and she stood up on her toes to give him a light kiss.

In the next moment she found herself lying on her back as he pushed her down into the mattress, her fingernails digging into his forearms as he pressed his lips to hers.

Though she was knew what they were doing was dangerous-that they were essentially toying with emotions they might not be able to erase-part of her didn't care. _It's fine,_ she thought as she ran her fingers through his curly hair. _I know I won't fall for him in the end._

_..._

_To be continued._

Author's notes: I had such a hard time writing this chapter and keeping B and K in character! I hope you all enjoyed. Please feel free to comment with any thoughts or suggestions!


	8. Agreements

Disclaimer: All Tiger & Bunny elements belong to Sunrise.

Practice  
Chapter 8: Agreements

by archfaith

A loud, annoying sound was ringing a few feet away from her. Scrunching up her eyes in discomfort, Karina pushed herself up with some effort. Still mostly asleep, she reached for her cell phone, which she recalled she had left on the nightstand the night before. Her body felt sore and exhausted, and she felt a slight pain near her stomach as she flexed her legs. The injury on her hand still throbbed slightly, and she made a mental note to change her bandage when she fully awoke.

_Just need to shut the alarm off..._

What she didn't expect, however, was that instead of there being a cool space next to her in bed, her reaching hands encountered warm, sinewy muscle. For a moment she was confused and groggy; after a few blinks she was finally able to wake herself up, and it was then that the anxiety began to set in.

Barnaby was stretched out next to her, arms askew, his normally perfect hair slightly tangled against the pillow. Though the lower half of his body was covered by a light blanket, as hers was, she knew he was naked beneath it. As she was.

A quiet confusion quickly gave way to a monumental wave of embarrassment. Though he was still asleep, she drew the blanket up to her breasts to cover herself as she felt her cheeks growing warmer. _No use, _she found herself thinking. _He's already seen everything, hasn't he?_

Her mind was erupting with thoughts, and she struggled to arrange them in a way that could be processed without too much damage. What exactly had happened last night? She had asked Barnaby to stay with her, and he had agreed. She had kissed him-and it had gone out of control after that. He had pushed her down onto the bed as she pulled at his shirt, wrapped her legs around his waist...

She quickly turned her head to see that the nightstand's drawer had been pulled out and rifled through, and a small blue box was lying on the floor beneath it. A discarded wrapper lay on the table. In a pure shock she realized that she had been the one to pull the box out in the first place. _Nathan always keeps these handy in every room,_ she had told Barnaby. _Just in case he brings any of his dates home..._

She realized she had broken out in a cold sweat and pulled the blanket closer to her body, although it was more for comfort than for warmth. She hadn't exactly been drunk when she asked him to stay, but she hadn't been entirely sober, either. She remembered most of what had happened the night before and wondered if it had really been as obscene as she remembered it. They had both been virgins; it had been slightly awkward, a little less than smooth. But it hadn't been terrible. It had felt...good.

In her sudden panic, she hadn't realized that her phone alarm was still ringing. Although she had been thankful that Barnaby was still asleep, she couldn't help but jump when he stirred, languidly opening his green eyes before he shifted over on the bed.

"Kar-" he began, before sighing. He blinked a few times. "Shut off your alarm."

"Ah," she said, still unsure what to say. "Right. Sorry."

In a quick second she reached across him, pulling her phone off the nightstand. In her anxiety it took her a few seconds to push the right buttons to quiet the alarm, and she set the phone down next to her. She looked back at him, and realized that he was staring at her absently, as if it was taking him a few moments to analyze the scene.

In a few seconds he had pushed himself up, his face suddenly growing serious. He gathered the blanket, tucking it around his lower body just as she was hugging it to her chest. He cocked his head slightly, and his face looked concerned as he raised his eyes to her.

"We've made a mis-"

"Hey," she said, in a small voice. "I know what you're about to say. Just don't."

He sighed, then pushed a few strands of blonde hair out of his eyes. "I shouldn't have stayed. I shouldn't have given in to this."

"Given in?" she repeated, giving him a sharp look. "You're acting like I seduced you or something. We both know that's not the truth."

"I didn't mean it like that," he said, and his expression softened. "Look, we've ventured into dangerous territory here. As if just kissing wasn't enough..." He shook his head. "I don't really know what this is going to lead to."

"Neither do I," she acknowledged. "I guess I'd have to agree-we haven't made the best decisions..."

They sat in silence for a few moments as the morning sunlight filtered in through the half-closed blinds. Sitting naked next to Barnaby against the backdrop of a tropically-decorated room at Nathan's penthouse was honestly the last place in the world that Karina would have thought she'd end up in. _Nothing can be strange anymore._

Feeling a dull pain near her thighs, she gently rubbed her legs to try to soothe her aching body. Barnaby seemed to notice her discomfort. "You're in pain?" he asked.

"A little," she admitted. "I'm sore all over, to tell you the truth."

"I suppose that's my doing," he said sheepishly, and she could see a slight pink shade form under his eyes. "I hope I wasn't too...rough. You know I don't have any experience with this."

"I don't either," she pointed out. "I think...I think you were fine."

He frowned. "You..." his voice trailed, and she could tell he was having trouble communicating as well. "You were fine too."

An uncomfortable silence followed, and she found herself getting anxious once again. The night before had been better than _fine_, and the only reason she was holding back was that she had just slept with Barnaby, the man she formerly professed to hate. She found herself blushing as she thought back to the actions, the sounds, the feelings of the night they had shared, and found herself unable to look at him. She remembered being so content, so relieved as he had kissed her last night; now all that was left was shame and regret.

"Karina," he said, and she was forced to look up. "We agreed that this wasn't going to mean anything."

"I remember," she said. "I was the one who said it wouldn't."

"Right," he echoed. "Just because this happened between us doesn't mean our professional relationship is going to change."

_Professional relationship? We've gone through this and that's all he can call it?_ She found herself growing frustrated as Barnaby continued on.

"We're meeting with Agnes tomorrow. We'll show her what we've worked on."

She sighed. "And then they'll decide how they want to handle the romance storyline. Got it."

"I'm glad we're on the same page about this." Although Barnaby's voice had regained its familiar, slightly arrogant tone, she could tell there was something off about it. His voice seemed less confident to her, and she wondered if he was trying to convince himself that their night together had been little more than a business transaction.

When she did not reply to his words, he rose from the bed with a slight groan. She looked away, even though it really didn't make much of a difference-though it had been dark the night before, she had been able to see his body all the same. _I guess I can see why all his female fans are so crazy about him, _she thought as she heard him moving around the room. His body had been lean muscle, smooth and powerful, and it had felt so warm against her own cool skin.

She heard him shut the door to the bathroom, and took the opportunity to climb out of bed to retrieve her clothes. Her underwear and tank top had been tossed to the floor-she quickly picked them up and stuffed them into a small duffel bag that had been propped up on a chair. She reached into her bag and pulled out a long t-shirt, pulling it over her head. She busied herself by making the bed as best as she could, although she knew Nathan's housekeeper would inevitably turn it out later in the day. She checked her phone, but there were no new text messages. Trying to keep herself busy, she unpacked her things from the bag and repacked them once again.

Barnaby took a minimal length of time to prepare himself; in a few minutes he had emerged from the bathroom, his hair slightly dripping as he stepped into the bedroom, towel draped around his waist. "I have to get going as soon as possible," he told her. "I don't want the others knowing I spent the night here."

"No, can't have that," she agreed sarcastically. She rose from the bed to use the bathroom, but as she passed Barnaby her eyes widened.

"What is it?" he asked, noting her expression.

She cocked her head. "Look in the mirror," she said simply. Knitting his eyebrows, he secured the towel around his waist and went over to the full length mirror that stood in the corner of the room, near the window. It did not take long for him to find what what Karina had been concerned about. There was a dark red bruise just below his collarbone. It was raw-looking, and framed with teethmarks.

"I'll have to cover this up later," he said reflectively. "I have a photo shoot today..." his voice trailed. "I don't remember you biting me like this..."

"I do," she answered, scowling. "It was towards the end. When I couldn't control myself anymore." She resumed her walk to the bathroom. "I think Nathan has some extra clothes in that drawer over there," she called to him, trying her best not to sound angry.

...

Barnaby could tell that Karina was upset somehow; although he wanted to calm her, to tell her that things were going to be alright, he knew it would be unhealthy for them to communicate in such a way. As he rifled through the drawer Karina had indicated, his mind couldn't help but wander back to the night before.

Although there were moments that had been less than smooth, the entire experience had been exhilarating. Although he tried not to show it, he had been slightly nervous, and he knew Karina felt the same. But when it came down to it-it had been natural. Although there had been a small part of his mind that told him to stop, told him to rethink this situation-he had ignored it. _Was that for the better?_

Karina told him the night before that it would mean nothing. Yet he was having a hard time convincing himself that he could keep his feelings away from the actions. His emotions towards her were still far from love, but he still felt a certain affection towards her that had not been present before. But he could not act on it.

The clothes Nathan had stored in the drawer were too gaudy for his tastes; in accordance with the room's tropical theme, all he could find were Hawaiian shirts or flamingo-print Bermuda shorts. He searched through until he found a simple white t-shirt, and put it on. Luckily, the bite mark on his chest was covered by the opaque fabric. He could wear the same jeans and shoes had worn the night before, but the red button-up shirt seemed a little too formal to wear in the morning. Besides, if any photographers spotted him driving home, they would be quick to note that he was wearing the same clothes as he had worn last night. _Not good for my image..._

Karina emerged from the bathroom, her hair damp as she rubbed it off with a towel. Her injured hand now displayed freshly applied bandages. "Give me a few minutes and I'll show you out," she said, keeping her eyes to the floor.

"Alright," he agreed. Finding nothing else he could comment on, he turned away from her to give her some privacy as she dressed. He took out his cell phone and opened it; usually there was a text from Kotetsu in the morning, with a comment on some inane thing he had done the night before. But there was nothing today, and it was a little after ten in the morning. _The old man's still asleep-better for me to slip out._

"You can turn around now," she said, and he turned to face her. She was now wearing her familiar tan dress and brown stockings. "You should hurry if you want to get out of here quickly," she advised, crossing her arms over her chest. "There's a back entrance through the kitchen. The door is built into the wall, so I'll show you where it is."

"Thanks," he said. He stood up, and for a few moments they stared at each other in an uncomfortable, blank silence. It was Karina who broke the gaze, going towards the bedroom door with a pronounced walk.

"Come on."

...

"Nathan usually has breakfast out on the balcony," she explained as he followed her through the living room. "Though I'm guessing they wouldn't be awake yet."

He nodded. "Good. The sooner I leave, the better."

She looked back to him with a frown. "You're acting like it was a crime that you stayed over last night."

"It wasn't a crime," he replied, frustrated. "But do you really want people thinking that we're involved with each other, somehow?"

She sighed. "I know we don't want people getting the wrong idea. It's just..." She shook her head. "Never mind. Forget it."

She pushed open a door in the corner of the living room, and he followed her in. "The door's over here," she said as they walked into a large, clean-looking kitchen area. "It's-" her voice trailed as her eyes moved to the far side of the room.

Barnaby followed her gaze, and immediately straightened, preparing for the inevitable onslaught that would soon follow. There would be no way to escape this one.

"Well...good morning." Nathan's greeting had started out cheerfully, but had quickly degenerated into a confused tone as he spotted Barnaby standing behind Karina. He was sitting at a small, round table, dressed in a fluffy pink robe with fur lining. Pao-lin sat next to him, in a yellow t-shirt and shorts, and had been about to bite into a piece of toast as they emerged into the room. But most damning of all-Kotetsu completed the triad. Still wearing the same clothes he had donned the night before, his sleepy eyes had widened as he saw the pair come into the kitchen.

Suddenly overcome with embarrassment, Barnaby considered his choices. He could turn around, march through the living room, and leave through the front entrance without a word, leaving Karina to explain the mess they had just created. _Too unfair, _he thought. _I can't do that to her._

There was only one thing to do.

Karina still stood in front of him, shock still with embarrassment as he came up behind her. Gently putting his hand against the small of her back, he nudged her forwards, knocking her out of the trance.

"Good morning, everyone," she finally managed to say, and he could almost feel her anxiety through his fingertips as they came closer to the table.

Nathan and Kotetsu were still staring in shock at the two of them, but Pao-lin merely put her toast down and cocked her head. "I thought you weren't staying over, Barnaby," she began. "You changed your mind?"

"It was a little too late for me to head home," he answered. "I hope this wasn't an issue for you, Nathan."

"Oh, not at _all_," Nathan said, his fingers tracing a saucer that held a cup of red tea. He seemed to have gotten over his surprise, and was now regarding Barnaby with a look of interest. "I hope it was relaxing for you."

"It was, thank you." There was no escape; he and Karina now had to play this game, as much as they tried to avoid it.

Kotetsu had been resting his head in his hand, elbow resting against the table as his other hand stirred a cup of coffee. "Did you wake up early?" he asked his partner, a look of genuine surprise on his face. "I woke up, and you weren't lying next to me or anything. I thought you'd gone home."

Barnaby was about to make up some excuse when Karina spoke. "Barnaby stayed in my room," she said, though her voice shook slightly. "We woke up just a little ago."

The silence that followed was so awkward that Barnaby considered jumping out the window to escape it. Kotetsu still looked confused, as if he hadn't understood what he had just heard. Pao-lin was frowning, and Nathan looked less than pleased.

"I'd better get going," Barnaby said after a few moments. "I have a few appointments later this afternoon, so-"

"Now wait just a minute, _Handsome_," Nathan said firmly, his voice deepening. "You stay over under my roof, with _my_ little Rose, and you expect to just take off?" Although the tone of his voice was a poorly disguised attempt to tease, Barnaby could hear the hostile undertones beneath. "You simply _must_ join us for breakfast. I insist."

"Nathan..." Karina began, and Barnaby found himself putting a hand on her arm.

"It's fine," he told her softly. Turning back to the table, he smiled. "Well, with that ultimatum, I guess I can't refuse."

In a few minutes he found himself and Karina seated around the table. Nathan clapped his hands, and a young maid appeared to bring them plates and silverware. The table was set for a rich breakfast-buttered toast with jam, scrambled eggs and omelets, bacon and sausage, among other things. Teapots and a coffee pot were set in the center of the table.

Kotetsu sat back, apparently displeased. "Was I snoring or something?" he asked, addressing his question to Barnaby. "You could have slept in the same bed with me. There was no reason to bother Karina in the middle of the night, you know!"

Barnaby almost kicked him under the table. Kotetsu was still so oblivious to the entire situation; he was still operating from what he saw on the surface. If a situation wasn't explained to him in detail, he would never understand it. "Don't worry about it," he told his partner. "It wasn't a problem."

"Oh?" Kotetsu said, narrowing his eyes with a mischievous smile. Barnaby raised an eyebrow-he knew that look. Before he could silence Kotetsu, the old man had turned his attention to Karina. "So tell me, Rose-is Bunny just as cuddly as the real thing?"

Karina's face grew bright red, and she drew her eyes down to her plate. "I guess..." she said, in a small voice.

Kotetsu chuckled. "Haha! Maybe there's hope for you two to get along yet," he said, grinning at his partner.

Nathan shook his head in amusement. "Oh Tiger," he said as he buttered a piece of toast. "I somehow wonder how you got married and had a child in the first place."

"Eh?" Kotetsu asked. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, nothing." Nathan shot Barnaby a knowing look as he took a bite of his toast.

"I thought you'd be eating out on the balcony today," Karina said slowly.

"We were going to!" Pao-lin interjected. "But there's a big construction project going on in the building next door. It was way too noisy."

"Ah," Karina said, and Barnaby could tell that she was trying her best to normalize the situation. "That's too bad. It's such a nice day."

"It is," Nathan agreed. "It should be sunny all day."

Although the meal could have turned into a disaster, Pao-lin's animated attitude and Kotetsu's cheerfulness came to dominate the conversation. Barnaby played his part well-he replied to Pao-lin's questions and became a foil to Kotetsu's banter. Karina's attitude seemed to lighten as the breakfast wore on-she had been quiet and anxious at first, but was soon chatting lightly with Nathan about her experience at the club the night before.

Beneath the small talk, however, Barnaby was still evaluating the situation. They had been 'caught', so to speak-Nathan, Pao-lin, and Kotetsu were now all aware that he had spent the night with Karina. Although Kotetsu still did not understand the full implications of the matter, Nathan definitely did. And he had a sneaking suspicion Pao-lin did as well.

_Not good_, he thought, in between bites of a mushroom omelet. _This is just going to lead to meddling. _Every now and then he would flash a quick look to Karina. She had been so stiff and frozen at the suggestion that she and Barnaby join the group for breakfast. Even though he had been embarrassed as well, he knew that the situation was probably more mortifying for her; she and Nathan were good friends, and there would probably be some words exchanged between them as soon as he and Kotetsu left.

Despite his misgivings, they somehow got through breakfast in one piece. "Thanks for having me, Nathan," Barnaby said as he took a last sip of tea. "Everything was delicious."

"I would have been distraught if you hadn't stayed!" Nathan said theatrically. "Next time, make up your mind if you decide to stay over."

"My apologies about that." Barnaby stood up from the table, pushing his chair in. "I should get going. You need a lift, Kotetsu?"

"You know me well enough," the older man said happily as he rose. "Thanks for the bed breakfast, Nathan."

"My pleasure."

"See you later, Pao-lin," Kotetsu said, reaching out to ruffle the short girl's hair. "Bye, Karina!"

"See you, Tiger," Karina said, with a small smile.

There was a slight pause as Barnaby eyed her, unsure of what to say. They had not directly addressed each other at all during breakfast, and it was pointedly obvious. "Karina," he finally said.

She turned her eyes down. "Bunny," she answered, tucking her hands into her lap.

He turned away from the table, Kotetsu following him. As he pushed open the door to the kitchen, he felt a growing sense of annoyance towards the back of his head.

...

Nathan stirred the remainder of his coffee, swirling the milk into a marbled pattern in the mug. "Honey, I wasn't trying to embarrass you or anything. I'm your friend and your big sister, but I guess I couldn't help but act like a dad." She expected him to be angry, but instead he seemed concerned. "That," he continued, his eyes traveling to the still-swinging door that Kotetsu and Barnaby had exited from, "was not a good choice."

Karina scowled, her eyes still lowered to her empty plate. "I appreciate the advice, Nathan, but it's..." She found that she could not express what she wanted to say-could not express it nor talk about it. "It's just something between us."

Pao-lin knit her eyebrows. "I didn't know you and Barnaby were interested in each other," she said, dunking a cookie into a glass of milk.

"We're not!" she replied loudly. "It was just some fun. That's all."

Nathan shook his head with a knowing sigh. "You're so young," he commented mildly. "Trust me-a boy like that is just for eye candy. He has a great personality to the public, but you've seen the way he acts towards us sometimes. He's good at heart, but he's got too much baggage. Getting involved with him will cause nothing but trouble in the end."

She was usually grateful for Nathan's advice, but found that it was the last thing she needed to hear at the moment. "I told you, it's fine," she insisted. "I think I'm old enough to know what I'm doing at this point."

Nathan looked doubtful. "It's your choice in the end," he said, his fork reaching for the last strawberry on a small platter of fruit. "But it's hard to separate feelings from actions. Trust me...I know."

...

"I was so confused when I woke up!" Kotetsu exclaimed as he and Barnaby stepped out of the front door. "The last thing I remember was knocking a few back with Antonio. It's all a blur after that."

"Mm." Barnaby was in no mood to talk. He normally had a few comebacks prepared for Kotetsu's statements, but he could find nothing humorous in the present situation.

"Well, I'm glad we had a place to stay, at least." Kotetsu, as usual, took little notice of Barnaby's silence. "Sorry you had to stay over too. I know you'd prefer to sleep in your own bed."

Barnaby pushed the lobby button and kept his eyes to the floor. _What's going to happen now? _he thought sullenly. _Why was it so hard to resist her offer?_

"So...let me tell you the truth, Bunny," Kotetsu continued on, lowering his voice though no one was in the elevator with them. "Sleeping in bed with Karina would have been hard for me. You're just naturally more disciplined than I am, but..." the older man's voice became wistful and dreamy. "If I was as young as you, I don't know if I could have kept my hands off her."

Barnaby turned sharply to his partner with frustrated eyes. "What makes you say that?!" he demanded, in a voice harsher than he meant.

Kotetsu put up his hands in defense. "Hey, hey!" he said. "Sorry. Didn't mean to offend."

Barnaby sighed as the elevator slowed and opened its doors. "Never mind," he said quickly. "Come on."

...

To be continued.

Notes: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was surprisingly easier to write than the last one. As always, I'm welcome to comments and suggestions.


	9. Demonstration

Disclaimer: All Tiger & Bunny elements belong to Sunrise.

Practice  
Chapter 9: Demonstration

by archfaith

Karina leaned back against the uncomfortable chair, sighing as she momentarily closed her eyes. It had been a long, confusing weekend. It was only now, on Monday night, that was she able to catch even a little rest. She had returned home from Nathan's apartment on Sunday afternoon, quiet and pensive. Her parents noted her change in demeanor and inquired about her night, but she had given them a bland, rote answer and retreated to her room. Her parents were used to her moods by now, and she felt appreciative that they left her alone. She would tell them about the club some other day, although she would leave out the part about the amount of alcohol she had consumed.

She remained in the same, dissatisfied state all through Monday afternoon. Even her best friends at school, who were usually able to cheer her out of any sadness, found her to be quiet and unresponsive. She could hardly pay attention in class, drawing circles in the margins of her notebook as the teachers droned on about subjects she cared nothing for. All for the better, anyway; as soon as the last bell rang she received a call on her wristband, and rushed to find her mobile unit waiting in an alleyway a few blocks away from the school.

_It was a stupid crime,_ she thought sullenly. _Just another lame bank robbery. _Agnes hadn't even bothered to call all the heroes; just Blue Rose and Rock Bison would suffice for this one. Upon entering the bank she had posed and smiled, mumbled her catchphrase, and iced the robbers down within five minutes. Bison had arrived a few minutes after her, but had sadly found no one to take down, nor any citizens to save. She had received all the points for the arrest and capture, and was soon coerced into taking some photos with the bank's lovestruck employees as Bison sadly skulked in the background.

_Like any of it matters._ She tried to push the thoughts of the night with Barnaby away, but every minute another little sliver of affection cracked through her barriers. The incident had only occurred the day before, and the emotions were still so new, so raw. She had been trying to make sense of the whole situation, and had tried sorting out her feelings towards him-one moment she found herself hating him and wishing that he had never come back to Stern Bild, and the next moment she was wondering where he was, what he was doing. _I'm no better than any of his fans_, she thought sullenly. But whenever she found a moment of free time to think, something always occurred to distract her. School, crimes, whatever it was...and now _this_.

She had received a call from Agnes early on Monday morning, asking her to come up to the office at seven o'clock on Monday night. _Well, here I am_, she thought, crossing her legs. And she well knew who else would be joining her. She dreaded having to see Barnaby again, so soon after their encounter of the day before. Yet another part of her almost looked forward to it. She locked the paradoxical thoughts away, firmly resolving to be neutral and business-like when he finally arrived. She only needed to act this way until she had her feelings all sorted out. That was what she told herself, anyway.

She had been sitting outside Agnes's office for a few minutes when Barnaby arrived. He walked in calm, measured steps down the hallway, and as he came nearer she could feel a quickening in her pulse, an uneasy turn in her stomach. _Just be calm,_ she thought. _Just let it go._

He sat down in the chair next to hers and leaned back, though he did not say anything. Karina had nothing prepared either, and for a few moments they sat in an uncomfortable silence.

"Are you ready?" she ventured after a while, unable to tolerate the quiet any longer.

"Of course," he answered nonchalantly. "We've practiced enough."

"Yeah," she agreed, with a disconsolate nod. It was so strange-even though they had been so open to each other the night before, in bed at Nathan's apartment, she could almost feel the chasm that separated them now.

Thankfully, the wait was not too long. The door opened, and Agnes stepped out with an expectant smile. "There you two are!" she exclaimed in plain delight. "Good, right on time. Come inside." Barnaby rose, and Karina followed him into the office.

"Ah, here they are." Besides Agnes, two older men in business suits awaited inside the office. One man was unfamiliar to her, but the other man had a face she almost always dreaded seeing.

"Hi Robert," she said disdainfully as one of the men stepped up to her. Although he was not Titan Industry's CEO, Robert was her direct supervisor, the man she dealt with every time she made a move her sponsors disliked. Although he seemed like a shrewd businessman on the surface, he was impatient and greedy in his interactions with her. Karina couldn't help but displace the scorn she felt for the hero industry on him, and she supposed that contributed to her negative feelings towards him.

Robert smiled, though it was more of a smirk. "Karina, lovely as always," he said. He turned to the tall, thin man standing next to him, suitably neat with gray hair and thin lips. "I don't think you've ever seen Blue Rose out of costume, have you?"

"No," the man responded. "A striking difference." He extended his hand to her. "Alexander Lloyds. I manage Apollon Media's Hero Division."

"Ah," she said simply, taking his hand. _Tiger and Bunny's boss, then._ "Nice to meet you."

Barnaby politely extended his hand to Robert. "I believe we may have met before," he said. "Was it the Children's Benefit Concert, a few months ago?"

"That's the one," Robert answered, taking his hand. "Titan is pleased to have Blue Rose working with a hero like you, Barnaby."

Agnes had been watching the pleasantries with a hand on her hip. "I hope you don't mind that I invited your bosses," she said, although she didn't seem troubled by it whatsoever. "But Apollo and Titan have a huge stake in this romance storyline. It's only fair that we see a quick taste of what we're going to be getting."

Karina nodded, although she was almost prepared to bolt from the room at that point. So she and Barnaby were going to be observed like laboratory rats. The whole scenario seemed like it had been ripped from from a bad porn movie. _Great._

Agnes nodded to the men, and Lloyds and Robert came to stand near Agnes's desk. "I hope you've been practicing," their producer said conversationally. "Treat us to something fun, will you?"

Barnaby smiled smoothly. "Right. Are you ready, Karina?" he asked, flashing her an almost-convincing fake grin.

Karina forced herself to echo his expression. "Sure," she replied. In one smooth movement she was in his arms again, and he had lowered his lips down to hers. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he tightened his grip on her waist, and pressed her lips closer to his.

They had gone though the motions so many times that it was almost automatic, although this trifling kissing demonstration still paled in comparison to what she had done with him the night before. After a few seconds they broke apart, and out of the corner of her eye she could see their discerning audience watching like a trio of voyeurs. "Do that again," Agnes instructed. "Hold the kiss longer."

They did as they were told, and managed to hold for the kiss for a full minute. "Hm," Agnes murmured, raising a hand to her chin. "Barnaby, put a little dip in there."

"Alright," the blonde agreed, and Karina felt herself tilted backwards, encased within Barnaby's strong embrace. He kissed her again, and she tried to respond as though she really meant it, bending her body to his.

Lloyds and Robert were watching with critical eyes. "Let's see a more theatrical kiss," Robert suggested with a grin. "Karina, you can raise your leg a little. It will look good in the Blue Rose outfit."

Karina grudgingly did as she was told, lifting her leg slightly as she shifted her weight to rest a little more on Barnaby's arms.

"Barnaby, stand a little more astride," Lloyds said. Barnaby turned away from her, and adjusted his stance as Lloyds asked.

"What about a princess carry?" Agnes asked after a few minutes. "You've only done them with Tiger so far. Doing one with Blue Rose will look much more appealing."

She felt more pangs of annoyance rise within her as Barnaby nodded. "Sure," he said neutrally. "Karina?"

She passively placed her arms around his neck, and felt her legs swept up by his arms in a second. Unused to the position, she had to strain to bring her face closer to his, and it resulted in a slightly awkward, stilted kiss.

"That pose is too odd," Robert said impatiently. "Let's stick to keeping them both on the ground for now."

The demonstration continued for around forty-five minutes; despite her anger at being used in such a demeaning way, Karina kept her tongue quiet as she and Barnaby were made to try different combinations of poses. Agnes seemed to enjoy the ones in which Barnaby bent her backwards; at some point she sat on Barnaby's lap, but this position was deemed too suggestive by Lloyds. "We might be able to save that one for a holiday special," he said reflectively. "But we'll see."

At the end, Karina felt so emotionally drained she could barely stand and look at her superiors. Barnaby had been so robotic and neutral during the demonstration; although he had kissed her, caressed her hair, pulled her close to him, it was without affection, all acting for the audience. Agnes was typing something on her computer, while Lloyds and Robert were talking to each other in low, secretive voices.

"Thanks for the effort," Agnes said absently, without looking up from her screen. "You can wait outside. We've got a few things to discuss. We'll call you back in a little while."

"That was degrading," she complained as they settled down onto the chairs outside the office. "Not to mention exhausting."

"I agree with you on those counts," Barnaby answered as he leaned back. "Well, we did our part."

She nodded, but said nothing. In a few moments the same, tension-filled silence had descended upon them again, and she balled her fists in frustration. She waited for him to say something-anything, really-but he merely sat back against the chair, placing his heads on his lap as he kept his eyes to the ground.

"Barnaby," she said after a few minutes.

"What is it?" he answered quickly, as though he had been waiting for her to speak.

"I know this isn't the best time or place to talk about this, but..." her eyes fell to the floor again, but she willed herself to look up at him. "Can I talk to you about yesterday?"

Despite her expectations, his neutral expression quickly changed; his eyes widened, and he set his mouth in a line. "Keep your voice low," he told her. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I..." she felt that she was losing her will to speak, but gathered up her voice. "All I want to say is that I..." She sighed, and spat it out. "I had a hard time figuring out how I felt about you. We already talked about how incompatible we would be with each other, but I can't stop myself from thinking-"

"Alright, you two!" The door to Agnes's office had burst open, and the older woman was beckoning them inside. "Come back inside."

It was incredibly bad timing, and Karina stopped herself from crying out in frustration as she and Barnaby rose. To anyone else, Barnaby might have appeared just as calm and collected as ever; but she knew him well enough to know that he seemed more on edge as they reentered the office and took their seats once again. Lloyds and Robert regarded them with interested stares, although Karina had no way of ascertaining their purpose.

"Thanks for the demonstration," Agnes said. "I have to say, it's evident that you two have been working on your technique. Last week, your kissing was stiff and inexperienced. This week was a great improvement."

"Thank you," Barnaby replied. "We've been practicing." Karina said nothing, but shifted uneasily in her chair. If only Agnes and the others knew what kind of emotional turmoil they had been thrown into, just for the sake of this kissing practice...

"But," Agnes continued, and Karina felt her heart tighten, "it's not enough."

"Not enough?" she echoed, despite her attempts to stay calm. "Our demonstration wasn't good enough, you mean?"

"It isn't that." Agnes frowned as she sat back in your chair. "Your techniques are fine. You two fit well against each other, and you would make a striking couple for the romance arc. It's just..."

Lloyds decided to deliver the blow. "The kissing is fine, no doubt about that. If you two were as inexperienced as Agnes said you were, you've done a good job making up for it. But there's just no...no _passion_. It all looks as though you were doing it by rote. We might as well hire robots to do the same thing."

Robert nodded. "What we're looking for are two stars who could really sell this angle. You two are so well known that it would have worked perfectly. But he's right-you two don't look like you're enjoying yourselves at all."

Agnes narrowed her eyes. "You're normally such good actors," she added. "But I know that you two aren't exactly fans of each other. I should have known this would happen." She crossed her arms over her chest as she shook her head. "We're scrapping the story line. It can't be be helped that you two don't like each other."

Karina sat back, stunned. Barnaby had the grace to gather himself. "I apologize. But we put in our best efforts." Karina half expected him to ask for their patience and more time to practice, but he said nothing more about the subject. In fact, he let the relief show on his face as he gave the assemblage a polite nod. "If there's nothing more, we'll be going."

Agnes nodded, a frown on her face. She was inevitably going to have to explain herself to Robert and Lloyds as soon as they left. "Goodbye then," Karina said as she stood up. "Have a good evening."

Robert and Lloyds nodded politely to them, and she followed Barnaby out of the office as a mammoth feeling of relief flooded through her.

Her worries were over; as demeaning as the kissing demonstration had been, it had showed Agnes and their superiors that the romance arc would be a ill-conceived plan that would heighten her and Barnaby's awkwardness around each other. Yet she had to remind herself-the reason why they were acting so stiff and business-like in the first place had been because they had just had a one-night stand. Before that, their acting skills had been top-notch. The paradoxical nature of the half-contrived, half-real romance confused her, but she put away her thoughts on it and returned to the situation at hand.

She closed the door to Agnes's office and turned to Barnaby as they walked down the hallway. "Well, what did you think?"

He cocked his head. "I'm glad it's over. It's a strain we won't have to concern ourselves with any longer."

She nodded. "I really thought you were going to ask them to give us another chance. It seems like something you would do."

He shook his head. "It wasn't something I wanted to do in the first place. I aim to please my superiors, but there's no reason to pander towards something so fruitless."

His words slightly troubled her, and she paused momentarily before she willed herself to speak. "Hey," she said simply. "I was trying to tell you something earlier. But maybe...maybe I can go back with you?"

"Go back?"

"Yeah." Feeling somewhat like a little girl, she tucked her hands behind her back. "To your place. Just to talk. I just need some closure with...this. We didn't get a chance yesterday."

She was expecting him to refuse, to brush her off and walk away in the haughty manner she had always known him for. Yet he held her gaze steadily. "Alright," he answered simply. "We can do that."

...

It was difficult to hide his relief from Karina, although Barnaby had a sneaking suspicion that she was well aware of it. They walked in silence to the car garage, although it was not the same quality of silence that had fallen between them as they waited for Agnes's evaluation. That silence had been awkward and defeating, and he admired Karina for actually attempting to break it.

The silence as they walked to his car had an air of expectancy around it. They had both subtly acknowledged that they wanted to talk to each other, and that was enough to set him at ease. Karina also looked decidedly less nervous. He had to admit-he did not like seeing her so anxious, but was unused to providing comfort to anyone.

He had spent the better part of the last few days engaged in his usual work as a hero. After dropping Kotetsu off at home on Sunday afternoon, he had gone to a studio to model for some photoshoots. A new menswear company had asked him to model some of their suits, and he had spent the day posing for the cameras. It was a familiar routine for him, and he welcomed the distractions of the trivial stylists and hairdressers who fussed over his clothes and hair. He had tried to take his mind off what had occurred with Karina, but he continued to mull over the events, trying to make sense of his own feelings towards her. It didn't help that he had to request additional make-up to cover up the bruise she had given him, either.

He had spent the next morning working out in the gym with Kotetsu. The old man still had no idea what had happened between him and Karina, and seemed to have completely forgotten about the incident. The bond between them remained as strong as ever, but Barnaby could not find it in him to talk to Kotetsu about it. It would cause too many conflicts of interest. Just because he had gone through the experience with Karina did not mean his feelings towards Kotetsu had lessened.

There had no calls to be a hero during the day; he had briefly seen a report about a bank robbery on the news, and had glimpsed a screenshot of Karina as Blue Rose, proudly placing the tip of her boot against the backside of a frozen would-be robber. All for the better-he was in no mood to be a hero today, though he did feel sympathy that Karina had been coerced into thwarting the robbery. He had felt a tightness seize his chest as he watched her curvy frame fill the screen, watched the manufactured smile flash against the camera.

He flashed back to the present as he inserted the key into the ignition. Karina had climbed into the seat next to him, and was strapping on her seat belt as he pulled the car out of its reserved space. He maneuvered the car down through the dim parking garage, and finally out into the street.

"You don't need to make any stops, do you?" he asked as they drove down the familiar road.

She shook her head. "No," she said. "I have everything I need."

He nodded, and considered for a few moments as he stopped the car at a red light. "My apartment isn't the most comfortable place, you know. I only have one seat in the living room."

"We fit before, didn't we?" Karina asked, in a question loaded with double meaning.

"Yeah," he was forced to agree. "We did."

He swung the car down the boulevard across from the tall skyscraper which held the heroes' gym, and headed down the familiar road that led back to his place.

...

She waited patiently as he opened the door to the apartment, and followed him inside without a word. The large room was dark, and the wall-sized hibiscus flower hovered ominously against the filtered light of the skyscrapers.

Barnaby walked into the space, slinging his jacket off his back and placing it on the small console next to the reclining seat. Although he felt immediately drawn to the computer console-the only place he spent his free time anymore, really-he stepped away from it. "Wait here," he told Karina as he retreated into his bedroom.

A few minutes later he emerged with a heavy down comforter that he had wrestled from the back of the linen closet. "This isn't the most comfortable method," he admitted as he spread the blanket out on the floor in front of the viewing window. "But I did say there was no place to sit," he teased, trying to inject some of the old humor back into their awkward relationship.

She shook her head. "I guess you're just going to keep being impossible," she whispered. Nonetheless, she came towards the spread blanket with a sigh, and settled down next to him on the comforter. The full moon cast a slightly eerie glow into the room, coupled with the nighttime lights of the tall buildings around them. Against his will he felt a quick rush of excitement pass over him, as he remembered what they had done the night before-and how much he had enjoyed it. They were quiet for a few minutes as Karina leaned back and looked up at the night sky, obscured as it was by the reflections from the streets below.

"You wanted to talk," he said carefully. "We're alone now. Nothing is going to bother us."

"We still might get called in," she pointed out. "If some idiot decides to take someone hostage or rob another bank."

"That's true," he answered. "That's just the nature of our job, isn't it?"

She sighed. "Yeah. I guess we should take advantage of time we can spend alone." She stretched her legs out in front of her and looked away from him as she spoke. "Barnaby...it's just so weird that I'm talking to you like this. One week ago we had no interest in each other at all, and now..." She hung her head, looking down at her lap.

He finished the sentence for her. "Now we're trying to figure out how we feel towards each other after the things we've done together."

She turned her eyes to his. "I thought you decided how you wanted it to be. I thought you said things shouldn't change between us professionally."

"That _is_ what I said," he admitted warily. "But things aren't always so black and white."

She stared at him for a moment before turning away again. "I've been thinking about you," she whispered, and thought it was dark he could see her blushing. "I tried to tell myself that it was just because of that stupid kissing practice, but I'm not so sure anymore."

He sighed. "You aren't the only one who's been struggling with that," he decided to admit. "I've been adamant that you and I keep this as far away from personal as we could. But it's been difficult."

"Are you saying that there's a possibility you could have feelings for me?"

He swallowed, and was so reluctant to answer her that he almost considered staying silent. "There could be."

Karina was interested now, and turned her body towards his, tucking her legs beneath her. "So you did feel something for me after all," she said, almost triumphantly. "I was beginning to think you were just stringing me along."

"Why would I do that?" he asked her, impatience rising. "'Stringing you along' would gain me nothing in the end. It's not as if you have any resources or connections I can't have myself."

She narrowed her eyes. "Great compliment there."

He sighed. "I never meant to mislead you in anything. It's just..." In a rare moment he found himself at a loss for words. "You don't know much about me, Karina. You only know about my past because I let Maverick tell my story to the media to gain sympathy during Jake's hostage crisis. I've never been a very open person. I keep to myself whenever I can. I pander to the public because it's beneficial for me."

"I know all that," she answered. "Are you trying to tell me that you're not interested?"

"And you are? Interested, that is?"

"Yeah," she replied, looking him straight in the eyes. "I think I am."

...

"We could just be...I don't know. Look, all I know is that over this past week, I thought I got to know you a little better. Even though it was through the context of these practice sessions. And..." Part of her couldn't believe she was actually saying this. "I don't want it to end there."

Barnaby was staring at her now, and she felt herself getting anxious. "And even though I don't want to really admit this...last night I really enjoyed myself. Despite being kind of sore and everything..." She turned away from him, feeling like such a little girl suddenly, unable to bear his gaze any longer. "We don't have much experience, I know...but last night should count for something, shouldn't it?"

She felt his fingers against her back, traveling up until they reached her hair. "It should," he agreed, as she felt his fingers running through the blonde strands. "It does."

She waited for him to say more, but decided to take the initiative as he remained silent. "It may not work out in the end," she admitted. "But I'm alright with that. It'll be weird at first, but...I can try."

He nodded. "It will be even stranger for me," he told her. "But despite what I said earlier, even though I tried to deny it...I'm interested in you as well." He gave her a smile then, though it was different than the others she had seen on him before. He had a smile he gave to his fans and to the public; it was charming and confident, but beneath the good training it was purely superficial. This smile was different; she could see slight wrinkles near his eyes, an unpracticed twitch of his mouth.

Karina found that she was unable to hold herself back. She leaned forward to give him a quick kiss; when he responded, she almost collapsed into his arms, throwing herself into his lap as he effortlessly lifted her body onto his, her stocking-clad legs sprawled over his own, the dress hiked up slightly as he brought a hand down to smooth her thigh. She ran her fingers over his chest muscles, tracing his collarbone as her tongue pushed against his lips, prodding them open until he parted them. He gently nibbled on her lower lip, and she could not restrain herself from crying out in a low voice.

He was breathing heavily as he pulled back, and she felt a surge of disappointment. "We're going too fast with this," he answered breathlessly. "It's my responsibility to slow things down. I _am_ older than you."

She scrunched up her nose. "Are you forgetting that we had sex two days ago?"

He sighed. "Even then." He was still holding onto her tightly, and she contented herself with tucking her arms over his shoulders. "Most of our feelings came from the actions we had to practice. We shouldn't let sex cloud our judgment."

"I know," she responded. "We need to work on that-on getting to know each other, I mean."

"It will take a while," he agreed. "But we have time." He inexplicably looked away from her then, and was surprised to see a slight shade of red rising on his cheek. "Next time, though, you can leave your stockings on."

Her eyes widened, though the possibility of there being a next time quickly brought a smile to her face. For the first time in a while she felt a genuine rush of excitement flood into her, and wondered how it was possible that Barnaby could be the source of it. "I'll keep that in mind, Bunny," she said with a small giggle.

He looked back at her, and in a second they were locked up in another kiss.

…  
To be continued.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. There is still a little bit more to come, so stay tuned. Please review if you have any comments or suggestions, I really love hearing them as an author!


	10. Development

Disclaimer: All Tiger & Bunny elements belong to Sunrise.

Practice  
Chapter 10: Development  
by archfaith

He had to admit-things were not doing as downhill as he had expected them to.

The thought was pessimistic, and Barnaby quickly acknowledged it. Still, by nature he was not a very hopeful person. Few of the events in his life had ever encouraged anything but a suspicious caution that the next day the sun would rise. But things with Karina were...different.

On a physical level, the damage had already been done. Their halfhearted attempts to take things slowly had already been poisoned by a taste of sex. The tension between them had built up so much in the past few weeks that it was all they could do to release the frustration. Sometimes they would stay late in the training gym, waiting until everyone had gone home before quietly entering one of the locker rooms. A few times she accompanied him back to his apartment-he never explicitly invited her, but she would come along all the same. They had even found time together backstage after a HeroTV live special-he slipped into her dressing room after the event, before the reporters and cameras came searching him out for an interview. He had quickly learned to bring protection with him wherever he went; although it made him feel uncomfortable, it was necessary if he and Karina were going to be unpredictable in their encounters.

Barnaby was not particularly proud of that uncontrollable aspect of their relationship, but found himself unable to resist. The first few times they had sex, the aftermath had still come out awkwardly; he wasn't sure exactly what to say to her, and Karina seemed to have the same problem. They would quickly slip on their clothes, and would leave the scene of their tryst in virtual silence. Although Barnaby was eight years older than her, he still lacked the experience to try and make things more comfortable for them. He never knew what to talk about with her, and it seemed she had the same problem.

As for the few conversations they had, he was unsure what exactly he could reveal to her. Karina knew something of his past, the same story that everyone else knew-how his parents had been killed by Maverick in an attempt to hide his involvement with the crimes on HeroTV, how he had been raised in an orphanage as a child, and his rise through the ranks in the Hero Academy. He remained guarded about certain details however, and Karina did not try to pry into these painful memories. Not yet, anyway.

The possibility that she may want to know more about his past was enough to unnerve him. He was already so careful about the things he revealed to her-how could he bring himself to talk about such painful happenings? He hadn't even brought the matters up to Kotetsu, and he had been close to his partner far longer than he had with Karina.

Then there was the fact of their colleagues.

Karina was closer to all of them than he was, with the exception of Tiger. Although it was inevitable that their friends would find out about he and Karina's arrangement, the thought of it still embarrassed him to no end. Nathan and Pao-lin, of course, had been the first to know. Barnaby had entered the gym late one afternoon to find the Girls' Team sitting in a booth, sipping milkshakes and giggling. He did not greet them at first, but crossed the room when Karina waved him over.

"Hey," she greeted, a light smile on her face.

"Hey," he said back, pleased to see her smiling but less certain about the reasons. He slipped in next to her in the booth, across from Nathan and Pao-lin. "Good afternoon," he said politely.

Nathan regarded him with an interested look on his face. "Hey Handsome," he greeted.

Pao-lin smiled. "Hey Barnaby," she said enthusiastically. "So you and Karina are a thing now?"

Barnaby raised his eyebrows and stole a look over to Karina, who had been sitting calmly next to him. With Pao-lin's statement, however, her carefree look turned to embarrassment. "I mean, we're not exactly a 'thing'", she began. "We're just..."

"...we are seeing each other," Barnaby decided to finish for her. Surprised, she widened her eyes at him as Nathan and Pao-lin let the amusement show on their faces. Although Barnaby was still uncertain exactly what their labels were, he knew nothing but disaster would come if he and Karina tried to hide their relationship.

"Hmm," Nathan said thoughtfully. "I've already told Karina, but I'll repeat myself again: I never imagined you two would ever like each other, let alone date each other. I still can't really believe it."

"It _is_ a little surprising," Pao-lin added. "But Karina seems a little happier lately. Maybe you're the reason why?"

Now it was Barnaby's turn to grow embarrassed. Truth be told, he hadn't observed any real changes in Karina's demeanor since they decided to see each other. "Has she?" he asked playfully, looking over to her. Karina remained silent, sipping her shake as her cheeks grew red.

"Well, that _is_ true," Nathan answered. "She's been a little more animated lately."

"Thanks for talking about me as if I wasn't here!" Karina finally exclaimed. "But I haven't felt different at all since we started going out."

"Well of course you wouldn't notice, dear," Nathan chided. "But why would you try to hide it? Are you embarrassed or something? Handsome, if there's anything you can be happy about, it's that you're causing such a change in her!"

Barnaby could not find a suitable reply to this. "Thanks," he finally settled on. Was Karina happier? He couldn't imagine being the source of it. Karina herself certainly wasn't letting on that anything was out of the ordinary.

Pao-lin slurped up the remainder of her shake. "I think I'm going to get back to practice," she said. "Coming?"

"Of course, babe," Nathan answered. "We'll leave you two to talk for a bit," he said with a wink. The two stood up to head back to the equipment area, and Barnaby was finally able to let out a sigh.

Karina was still red. "Sorry about that," she explained. "I wasn't sure if you were alright with me telling them. But they are my closest friends, so..."

"It is a little odd," he admitted.

"I know," she replied. "I'll keep quiet about it from now on."

"You don't need to," he said. "This doesn't need to be a secret. It would honestly be far worse if people thought we were sneaking around."

She raised an eyebrow, and he wondered just exactly what she was thinking. "I thought you would be a little more secretive about it, I guess."

He sighed. She would think that, knowing their interactions with each other in the past. "It would be no use keeping it from anyone," he said. "They'd find out about it one way or the other."

She nodded, and they sat in silence for a few moments until he decided to prod. "_Have_ you been feeling different?" he asked, unsure how to broach the situation.

She lowered her eyes. "To be honest, I haven't felt anything too crazy," she admitted. "Nathan and Pao-lin like to exaggerate sometimes."

He nodded, though a part of him felt let down. Once again, he found himself battling a paradox; he and Karina had agreed to give the relationship a chance, yet he was trying not to get too involved in her business. And though he could not be too sure about this, he felt that Karina was trying to hide her feelings from him as well. This kind of arrangement was never going to work if they wanted anything substantial to develop in the long run.

_ Long run?_ He quickly decided to dismiss the idea from his mind. Although he was enjoying the time he spent with her, he had still not yet figured out his feelings towards Kotetsu. And if he was going to take a wild guess, Karina was in the same boat. _We'll deal with it later,_ he told himself.

"Want to try?" Karina was holding out her shake. He took it from her and had a cautious sip. "Not bad," he responded. "What flavor is it?"

"I forget," she said, a smile playing on her face. "I just kind of ordered the first thing I saw."

"That sounds like something you'd do," he said as he took another sip. "Does anyone else know about us?"

"No," she admitted. "I've only told Nathan and Pao-lin, and that was only because they asked. Have you told anyone?"

Although she said _anyone_, he could tell that she was referring to Kotetsu. "I haven't," he admitted. "I'm not a very talkative person, you know. Especially about things concerning my private life."

She cocked her head. "Right." She put down the now-empty cup down on the table, and tapped her fingers on the counter. "I was thinking..." she began. "Would you you want to go out anywhere this Friday?"

"Out?" he echoed. "On a date?"

"Yeah. Something like that." She cocked her head. "We haven't really had a real one, unless you count that time we ate together at the Honey Diner. We've just been..."

"Having sex whenever we catch a free moment?" he finished for her.

She brought her legs up to the seat, tucking them underneath her. "Thanks for being so blunt about that," she said, setting her mouth in a line. "The Harvest Festival is at the end of this week. In Stern Bild Gardens. I'm not sure if it would be too public for you."

He considered a few moments. If he and Karina were to be seen in public together, the tabloids may or may not start buzzing-it was always difficult to tell in Stern Bild. There were times when he was mobbed with fans asking for autographs, and times when the masses had the decency to leave him alone. Still, being seen with Karina in such a public place would probably alert everyone to the fact that they were seeing each other.

Although he did not want to be overly secretive about their new relationship, he was still struck by the incredible strangeness of it all. He had been mobbed by women and men all through his teenage and early adult years, yet he had never gone an actual date with anyone. Unless he counted nights where he accompanied a drunken Kotetsu through his escapades, and those had hardly been romantic.

"It would be fine," he told her firmly.

She cracked a smile. "You sound a little nervous."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not. It's just new to me, that's all." It was odd that although they were comfortable having sex with each other, they were still unused to the idea of being together in a public place.

"It's new to me too," she pointed out as she rose from the booth. "I guess it will be an experiment as to whether we can stand each other with our clothes on."

He couldn't help but smile at this. "That will be something worth trying out," he said as he got up to accompany her inside the gym.

...

Karina was the proud owner of a vintage yukata handed down to her by her mother, who had used it at festivals past in her own days as a young woman. It was light blue in color, decorated in a simple pattern with small red rose petals. Although the theme damnably reminded her of her hero alter ego, Karina resolved to wear it nonetheless. The Festival would be beginning in two hours, and she had had no time during the week to run out and find a new yukata. It had taken some fussing to finally put it on correctly, but she had finally managed to get her yukata to the right length on her petite frame. Her mother had helped with the obi, all the while asking her who she was going to the festival with.

"Is is a boy?" her mother had asked, a mischievous smile on her face.

Karina sighed. Although her parents would have to find out eventually, she was not ready to disclose to them that she was seeing someone. Let alone Barnaby, one of Stern Bild's most visible celebrities. "I'm just going with some friends," she insisted. Which was technically true, as Barnaby could be considered something of a friend. _Rationalizing, _she admitted to herself as she she held the front of the obi up to her waist, holding it against her as her mother tied the obi high on her back.

Her mother shook her head as she placed the finishing touches on the obi. "Well, just make sure you're careful," she warned. "If you ever want to talk to me about anything, you know I'm here."

Karina looked up at her mother with a small smile. She was grateful for her mother's interest, though this was a path she would have to navigate alone. "Thanks Mom," she said.

Her mother smiled, and left the room to give Karina time to finish putting her make-up on. She carefully applied the eyeliner and blush, as well as a variety of other cosmetics. It all felt very...surreal. She was used to putting on make-up as Blue Rose, but had never spent much time on it when she was going out to do ordinary things-going to school, heading out with friends, running errands, and the like. When she dressed up for the Club Phoenix opening a few weeks ago, Nathan had assisted with her make-up.

She found herself growing embarrassed that she wanted to look nice for Barnaby, of all people. But she realized that she had to get over her initial aversion to the relationship if she wanted it to work. She had been the one to confess that she thought they could build something together, and was incredibly glad that he had agreed to try. The embarrassment otherwise would have been too much to handle. _So I should be happy to be getting ready for him,_ she thought, _not anxious._

She arranged her hair into a wispy bun, securing it with bobby pins and a pair of silk flowers. Only one more thing was missing-her mask. She was certain that there would be media coverage at the event, and photographers snapping away. They had been lucky when they had eaten together at the diner. It had been so late at night, and Barnaby's presence so unexpected, that their late dinner had hardly attracted any attention from the fans. But the Harvest Festival was a highly visible place-if pictures of her and Barnaby surfaced on the Internet the next day, her classmates would never leave her alone.

Luckily, it didn't take much to trick the fans. If Kotetsu could get away with a domino mask concealing his identity, so could she. The small domino mask she had chosen was colored a pale blue, with a small star near the upper right corner. She had purchased it from a costume store earlier that day.

She tucked the mask into the small pouch that contained her wallet and apartment keys. Checking herself one more time in the mirror, she decided that she was ready and stepped out of her room, sandals on her feet and pouch securely fastened to her wrist. She padded through the living room, passing her parents on the way out.

Her parents were seated on the couch, watching a news channel on television. Her mother beamed as Karina entered the room. "You look so elegant, dear," she said dreamily.

"Thanks," Karina answered, smiling. There was no doubt in her mind that her parents know she was meeting someone in particular. She never really dressed up to go out with her friends, after all. She decked herself out as Blue Rose, but that was different.

"You need a ride, hon?" her father asked casually, momentarily looking away from his newspaper.

"No...I'm fine, Dad," she said. She would be normal for once and take the local bus to the Gardens. There was less chance her parents would see she was meeting Barnaby. Besides...she wanted to take the bus and pretend that she was just like everyone else. Although Barnaby was continually recognized for his own efforts as himself, and not some fake persona, she did not envy the crowds of fans he tended to generate. She would have never been able to endure a loss of anonymity, and had come to terms with it. _Though it would be nice if someone thanked me at least once..._

She gave her parents a brief goodbye and headed to the elevator. It was going to be an interesting night.

...

"What was so important that-"

Barnaby stopped mid-sentence. Although he wasn't exactly shocked, he hadn't thought he would stumble into any more awkward situations than he had in the past few weeks. Apparently, he was wrong.

Kotetsu stood in front of him, wearing both a dark blue striped yukata and the stupid goofy grin he always displayed when something was afoot. "Bunny!" he greeted.

Barnaby let his mouth fall into a line, and tried not to let his discomfort show. "What are you up to, old man?" he asked impatiently, leaning against the door frame. As soon as Barnaby had finished dressing for the festival, Kotetsu had called him, requesting that he come to his house right away. Barnaby had arrived as soon as he could; truthfully, he had expected to find Kotetsu drunk, or passed out. _Both, more likely._

It did seem like Kotetsu had indulged himself, as the faint blush on his tan cheeks was evident. "Well, it looks like you had the same idea I did!" he said as he looked over Barnaby's plain red yukata, tied with a checkered black and white band.

_ No way_, Barnaby thought as he evaluated the situation. _Is he really going to-?_

"The Harvest Festival is tonight!" Kotetsu explained happily. "It's a tradition back in Oriental Town. I used to go every year with Tomoe. Even when she was gone, I used to take Kaede." Kotetsu's eyes grew wistful for a moment before he snapped back to himself. "Anyway, I never get to go to the one in Stern Bild Gardens. Something always seemed to come up every year, but this year is different. I thought I'd surprise you, but you've already dressed up!"

Barnaby crossed his arms over his chest. He had to admit-he was amused and intrigued by Kotetsu's offer. Despite the sudden onslaught of his and Karina's relationship, he knew that they both still harbored feelings for Kotetsu. They just hadn't dealt with those feelings yet.

_ Still, it would be crazy if..._

"You've driving, right?" Kotetsu demanded. "Because I plan to taste the sake all night long. Not to mention the beer..."

"Kotetsu," he began firmly. "I'm meeting someone tonight. It's more of a private matter," he decided to say.

Kotetsu cocked his head. "Private?" he echoed. "Oh, is Bunny meeting a cute girl there?" he teased, flashing a sly smile. "Or a cute guy, maybe?"

Barnaby sighed. "It's really none of your business," he answered, despite his desire to elaborate more on the situation.

"Oh, it's not a sponsor meeting, is it?" Kotetsu's face dropped momentarily. Barnaby knew how boring Kotetsu found any business meetings, and wondered if he could angle it in that direction.

"It might be," Barnaby said suggestively. "I-"

It was at that very moment that Barnaby's call band sounded, flashing bright with the familiar clanging noise against his wrist. Kotetsu noticed, then looked down to his own band. "That's kind of funny," the old man said. "Only yours is flashing..."

"It's probably nothing-" Barnaby began. Before he could move, however, Kotetsu had grabbed his wrist, eagerly pressing the call band even as Barnaby attempted to twist away.

"Let's see who it is!" he shouted as Barnaby's struggle failed.

"Barnaby?" came Karina's familiar tone, and Barnaby felt himself ready to cancel the entire thing in frustration.

Kotetsu furrowed his brows, but before he could ask any questions Karina continued on. "Sorry, I forgot my phone at my apartment," her voice continued."I'm on my way to the Gardens now. I just wanted to check that we were still meeting at six."

Barnaby managed to shake his arm free of Kotetsu's grasp, his mortification rising in a slow wave. "Hey," he answered, breathless as Kotetsu scratched his head. "Yes, six will be just fine."

"Alright," he heard her say. "Are you okay? You sound a little weird..."

"I'm fine," Barnaby replied insistently, and his words came out harsher than he intended. "I'll see you in half an hour," he finished, tapping his call band.

"You're meeting Rose?" Kotetsu asked. Standing there, his wides wide, he suddenly looked younger than his thirty-eight years. "But I thought you two couldn't stand each other. I mean, I know that you slept in her bed when we stayed at Nathan's that one time, but I thought it was only because you didn't want to sleep next to me!"

_This is going to be impossible_, Barnaby realized as he gazed back to Kotetsu's confused face. There was no way he could tell Kotetsu that he couldn't attend the Festival with them. He loathed the idea of leaving the old man alone in his apartment while he and Karina enjoyed themselves. With Kotetsu still in the dark about their new relationship, he would never be able to fathom it.

"Karina and I are trying to get to know each other a little better, outside of HeroTV," he said carefully. "We arranged to go to the Festival together tonight."

"I get it," Kotetsu answered glumly. "And you don't want an old man like me tagging along..."

"That _is_ not it," Barnaby said firmly. He automatically took a step forward to grasp Kotetsu's shoulders. "I didn't know you wanted to attend. If I had known..." _I wouldn't have arranged to go there with Karina this same night._ "It would be fine if you came with us."

"Really?" Kotetsu asked, staring back into his eyes. Barnaby realized that their sudden proximity was making him breathe a little faster, and quickly let go of his partner.

"Of course," he answered, trying his best not to seem flustered. "I'm sure she wouldn't mind you coming." Truth be told, she would probably be delighted. Barnaby found himself growing slightly annoyed at this thought, and pushed it away.

"Are you sure?" Kotetsu asked cautiously.

"There isn't anything to interrupt," Barnaby answered, and he wasn't quite sure if that statement was true. "Karina wouldn't mind."

"Hmm," Kotetsu mused, bringing a hand up to stroke his chin. After a moment of thought, his expression turned back to the light-hearted smile he had greeted Barnaby with a few minutes earlier. "Alright!" he agreed. "So it will be Tiger, Bunny, and Rose!"

"Just don't get as drunk as you did at Nathan's club," Barnaby warned him as he turned back towards the door, Kotetsu following him.

"Hey, that's a tall order!" the older man complained as he shut the door of the house behind him. "What, you don't want to drink to you and Karina's growing friendship?"

Barnaby shook his head as the pair walked down the front steps, to the red sportscar parked in the front of the house. _I think we skipped the part where we were supposed to be friends first,_ he thought as he walked over to the driver's side. "Get in, old man."

...

Barnaby had agreed to meet her at the entrance to the festival, which was being held in the well-manicured grounds of Stern Bild Gardens. The Gardens encompassed acres of landscaped meadows, paths, and forest trails, and were open to the public on a daily basis. The Harvest Festival was one of their largest events; fashioned after a traditional Japanese festival, the event featured games for children and families and a variety of food selections. Brightly lit paper lanterns hung from the the trees, which were slowly beginning to turn vivid hues of red and orange.

Karina stopped near the gates, pulling out the small mask from her bag as the rest of the crowds passed. She quickly slipped the mask onto her face, securing the elastic around the back of her head. The mask settled comfortably onto the bridge of her nose.

_There_, she thought. _This should settle it_. Though a few of the passerby looked at her curiously as they walked by, most of them seemed to pay her no mind; almost all the festival goers were dressed in brightly colored yukata, all of them too excited and focused on the festival to care about an anonymous girl wearing a small mask. She stood near the gates under the welcoming lanterns, slightly anxious as she waited for Barnaby to arrive. She had been more nervous than she initially thought-she had left her phone at home, and had contacted Barnaby by using their ever-present call bands. But he hadn't sounded pleased to hear from her.

_I hope I didn't make a mistake by asking him here,_ she thought as she watched the people go by-the families, young couples, groups of teenagers. She just wanted a normal situation for once-one that did not involve criminals, cameras, or rehearsals for a half-baked storyline. Well, this was as normal as it could get-a girl waiting for her date to arrive. _Although the way we started on this relationship was anything but normal..._

She did not usually wear a watch, and could not tell precisely what time it was, having left her phone at home. She surmised that it was nearing six o'clock, and resolved to be patient.

The minutes ticked by, and she was beginning to wonder if he would show up at all. As her eyes wandered over the crowds of people heading into the gardens, she suddenly became aware of someone standing next to her. She lifted her eyes, and her anxiety quickly turned into relief. "Bunny!" she could not help but let out. "I was beginning to think you changed your mind."

He knit his eyebrows and gave her a sigh, although she could see a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "It's Barnaby, not Bunny," he corrected her. "Did you have that little faith in me? Besides, it's exactly six."

"Yeah, well," she said, feeling the blush grow on her cheeks.

He cocked his head as he looked down at her face. "Nice mask."

"I thought it would be best if I had a little disguise," she responded. "It would be a little weird if anyone snapped a picture of us together. My classmates might recognize me if it showed up on one of those gossip blogs."

He nodded. "Understandable." He came closer to her, speaking in a lower voice. "Listen, there's something-"

"Rose!" came an exuberant sounding voice. Karina peered behind Barnaby, and suddenly it felt as though her heart had frozen solid.

Kotetsu came up to them, dressed in a dark blue yukata. "Sorry, I had to adjust my sandals for a minute back there. Bunny didn't want to keep you waiting, though," he said, giving her a smile. "He told me that you two were going to be attending the Harvest Festival tonight. I thought I would come with you. It's been a long time since I've been to one!"

"Uh..." She genuinely did not know how to respond to this. On the one hand, she could never say no to Tiger if he asked to come along with her, anywhere. On the other hand, this date should have been a chance for her and Barnaby to grow more comfortable around each other in a public setting. And her feelings for Tiger were still so tangled up...

She looked towards Barnaby for some direction as to how the handle the situation, but the blonde had folded his arms over his chest in a self-protective gesture. "Barnaby told me that you two are trying to get to know each other better," the old man continued on, giving his less-than-enthusiastic partner a nudge. "Since I think I know both of you pretty well, I thought I could help you out!" Barnaby was staring at Kotetsu with a look of uncertainty, although Karina could have sworn that she saw a hint of amusement flicker in his eyes.

"Ah," she said simply. "That was nice of you, Tiger."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's head inside. I think I smell sake..." Kotetsu winked at her as he grabbed Barnaby's sleeve and pulled him towards the entrance to the gardens. Barnaby looked back at her with a defeated look on his face, but offered his hand to her nonetheless. She automatically reached out, grasping clumsily at his fingers as Kotetsu maneuvered through the crush of people standing by.

She knew she would get a chance to ask Barnaby about the development with Kotetsu, but decided to hold her tongue for the time being. Kotetsu just looked too excited, too happy for her to ask just yet. "Don't worry!" he told them as the trio advanced past the gates. "Things won't be so awkward for you guys now that I'm here!"

...

To be continued.

Notes: Thanks for hanging in there, everyone. I have been incredibly busy lately, and this chapter has been in the works for quite some time! Hope you enjoyed it. In the next chapter, we'll see what happens on Tiger, Bunny, and Rose's date...


	11. Amusement

Disclaimer: All Tiger & Bunny elements belong to Sunrise.

Practice  
Chapter 11: Amusement  
by archfaith

"Ah! Our first stop of the night!" Kotetsu was beaming, ecstatic as he pulled Barnaby through the crowds by the wrist. As the odd trio wound their way along the path leading to the festival area, Karina began to notice some of the other festival goers stopping to stare. There was no doubt that they began to notice that the tall, blonde man in their midst was none other than Barnaby Brooks Jr., hero and celebrity of Stern Bild.

The crowds were most dense near the entrance to the Harvest Festival, where welcome booths had been set up to orient the attendees. Men and women in yukatas were handing out festival maps to families with young children, groups of school friends, and couples on dates. Behind the booths, Karina could see other stalls stretching far back into the gardens, beyond the low-hanging trees and down towards the lake area. The sudden smells of cooking food filtered into her senses, along with the crisp fragrance of the late harvest season.

Kotetsu pulled them along, Barnaby grasping her hand within his own. Instead of the curiosity and excitement she had expected to feel, Karina found herself fretting with a dull anxiety at the addition of Kotetsu to their night. There was no doubt she was glad to see him, but his presence had been so unexpected she had not been sure how to react. It was supposed to have been a night for her and Barnaby to know each other, without the temptation of sex to distract them. She was not sure how exactly they would feel comfortable with Kotetsu added to the mix. Not that she was _too_ annoyed that he had decided to come along...

She felt a little guilty, feeling frustrated yet pleased that Kotetsu had opted to come along. Her feelings for him had barely changed despite the start of her uncertain relationship with Barnaby. Although she did blush a little less around the old man, and did not endeavor to get his attention as much as before. _Does that mean my feelings _have_ changed?_ she asked herself as the group stopped under a large tree that was set in a small grove, a few yards away from the rows of the festival. Its leaves gleamed yellow and red under the lantern light.

Kotetsu's eyes were set on a particular stall, one with a long line of patrons that did not seem to be moving. "That stall is selling some famous sake from Oriental Town," Kotetsu explained, a huge grin on his face. "Wait here, alright? I'll get us something to drink." The older man left her and Barnaby under the tree as he moved towards the stalls, eagerly joining the queue of people.

"Well, that will keep him for awhile," Barnaby said softly as he watched his partner go. Karina turned to look up at him, and he let out a sigh.

"After I finished preparing, Kotetsu called me and told me to come to his house. I didn't think it was anything that would take more than a few minutes," he told her. "When I got there, Kotetsu told me he had been planning on going to the Festival for some time. He was going to surprise me by taking me along. I was trying to tell him that it wouldn't be a good idea when you called."

"Ah," she said shortly. "So that was why you sounded so nervous when I spoke to you."

"I wasn't nervous," Barnaby said quickly, and a quick flash of his short temper returned. "I wasn't sure how to handle it. Kotetsu still thinks we can barely tolerate each other, you know."

"Is that why he wanted to come with us?"

"Partially," he answered. "I guess he wants to be our chaperone. He probably thinks we'll end up killing each other if we're left alone for too long." He shook his head again. "He really wanted to come."

"And you couldn't say no," she reflected softly. There was certainly more to Barnaby than the eye could fathom. Though she was still frustrated, the thought of Kotetsu's naivete breaking through Barnaby's logic was enough to bring a small smile to her lips. "He is your partner, after all."

Barnaby tilted his head towards her, a sharp gaze set into his eyes. Apparently he did not find the situation amusing in the least. "This might be awkward," he said carefully. "For reasons you know well enough."

She frowned. Although they had barely had any deep discussions since the night they had acknowledged that they would try a relationship, between them always hovered an unspoken problem. _Kotetsu._ How were they going to handle the odd triangle that was inevitably forming between the three of them? Even though Kotetsu had no idea that either had feelings for him, she and Barnaby were still acutely aware.

Despite her misgivings, she shook her head. "Well, he's here now. It is weird, but...let's try to enjoy ourselves without thinking too much about everything," she suggested. She was truly tired of thinking-constant evaluation of every little action, every thought. For once, she was tired of thinking things over; if anything, she just wanted to let it go. There were few moments when she wished she could be oblivious as Kotetsu, but this was certainly one of them. "This is supposed to be a date, after all," she added, and found herself giving him a playful pinch on the arm.

Barnaby nodded, and it seemed that he understood what she was trying to say. "Right,"he agreed, though his expression remained serious. "I probably should have spoken to him about this earlier."

Karina smiled despite the situation. "I think we'll have to get used to these kinds of things from now on," she told him. "It is a unique situation."

"Definitely," he answered. With his free hand he reached up to tuck a stray strand of hair that had fallen to the side of her face. "But nothing about this relationship has been normal in the first place."

"Hey!" they looked up to see Kotetsu coming towards them, expertly balancing three cups of dark sake in his hands. "We were in luck," he gloated as he stepped back up to them. "They were almost sold out of my favorite brand, but these were some of the last cups."

Karina reached out to take the cup offered to her. Barnaby did the same, and in a few seconds they were all tasting the sake. It was a bit heavier than the other drinks she had tried before, and had a slightly bitter taste. Still, there was a certain flavor and crispness that she enjoyed.

"Like it?" Kotetsu asked her.

"It's good," she replied. "It's my first time having it."

Kotetsu smiled, and she felt her heart fluttering slightly as she saw the look on his face-the genuine smile, the slight wrinkles near his eyes. Yet she had to note that in his eyes she could see a wistful sort of expression, as if his mind were far away while his body remained rooted to the ground. "This one is fairly light, since you're younger and all," he explained. "What do you think, Bunny?"

"Not bad," Barnaby answered as he took a sip. "I don't drink very often, so perhaps I wouldn't be the best judge."

"Well you're driving tonight, but some other time we'll have to go out drinking together," Kotetsu said as he took another sip of the sake. Karina felt a slight twinge of jealousy at the bemused look Barnaby gave the old man, and tried to keep her feelings in check as Kotetsu proceeded to give him a hearty slap on the back

"Well, let's take a look around," Kotetsu suggested, scanning the area around them. "I want to try some of those games." Drink in hand, he proceeded down the path away from the tall tree, an excited look on his face as he went towards the rows of stalls, towards the lights and colors and noise.

Barnaby came next to her and placed his free hand on her shoulder. She turned her face to his, but could not bring herself to look him in the eyes. She almost felt like she was betraying his trust, even though she had done nothing wrong in the physical sense. But the fact that Tiger had still been able to arouse those old feelings inside her made her wonder how ready she was for this relationship in the first place.

"You're blushing," Barnaby commented.

"I know," she answered. "I'm trying not to." She found herself involuntarily reaching for his hand. He let her take it, and a few seconds passed before their fingers tangled together, intertwining seamlessly. It was very unlike earlier, when she had struggled to grasp his fingers as Kotetsu dragged them along; this time, her hand was firmly entwined within his, her fingers curled around the back of his hand. It was surprising to her how comfortable it felt.

She felt a small movement of Barnaby's fingers, and raised her eyes to look up at him. "We haven't done this before," he commented, flexing his hand within her.

_We haven't?_ she thought quickly. She could have sworn that they had hands at some point in the recent past; after a few seconds, however, she found she could not recall. She had lost count of their physical encounters, but it was surprising that they had not tried something as basic as holding hands.

"I guess not," she answered. "We're doing everything in the wrong order."

"Well. We'll get used to it," he said lightlu as he led the way, gently pulling her towards him as they walked towards the main part of the festival area. Karina let herself smile a little as they descended down the low hill.

...

Kotetsu was standing in front of one of the game booths, his eyes wide and eager as he watched the mechanics of the sport. It was one of the standard carnival games; a yukata-clad barker was handing a set of three balls to a young boy standing with a group of friends. Karina and Barnaby joined him, and the three of them watched as the boy endeavored, in vain, to throw the balls towards a stack of empty bottles. The bottles were arranged pyramid-style, with two on the bottom and one balancing precariously between them. The booth was festooned with large plush animals and characters, and Barnaby noted that a smaller version of the famous red bunny plush toy hung in a corner under a sad-looking giraffe.

"I should try!" Kotetsu announced loudly as the dejected boy walked away with his friends. "I'd make it in for sure."

Barnaby made a small noise, somewhere between a hiss and a chuckle. "You sure, old man?" he asked. "These games aren't set up for winning." A short memory, almost at the edges of his consciousness, began to surface; his parents had taken him to a carnival once, when he was barely three years old. Although the images were fuzzy and incoherent, he clearly remembered his father trying out of these games, with no luck. _Some things never change. _

Kotetsu turned to face them, his eyes sliding down to his and Karina's entwined fingers. Barnaby was sure that Kotetsu was finally beginning to catch on to their relationship when the same, easy smile formed on Kotetsu's face. "You guys are holding hands? That's a good idea. There are a lot of people here, so you wouldn't want to get lost."

Karina shook her head, seemingly amused as Barnaby noted the small smile on her face. He wondered if they should just get it over with and let Kotetsu in on the fact that they were seeing each other. But somehow, it did not seem like the right time nor place to address something so..._fragile_? He did not know exactly why, but telling Kotetsu seemed almost cruel. Although the old man was dense, he would probably become embarrassed if he knew that was the third wheel on Barnaby and Karina's date. _Then again_, Barnaby thought with a small twinge of annoyance, _who exactly is the third wheel here_?

Before he could dissuade his partner from wasting his money, Kotetsu had placed his cup of sake on the ledge of the booth. Fishing around in a pocket, he quickly handed the barker a crumpled five dollar bill. Barnaby sighed as Karina drew nearer to him.

"He's just wasting his time with this," he explained in a low voice, as Kotetsu felt the ball in his hand, studying the distance between himself and the stack of bottles with a patience that he did not often display. "The only way he'll be able to do it is if he uses Hundred Power, and that's out of the question."

Karina took a thoughtful sip of her sake as she looked towards the booth. "He's just having fun," she chided. "That's what a festival is for, right?"

They watched a few more moments as Kotetsu studied the throw again, under the barker's expectant gaze. In the next second he let the ball go, and it slammed squarely into the bottles with a loud crack. The bottles clattered to the floor as the barker scratched his head in confusion.

Kotetsu turned back to them, a sly grin on his face. "See? The old man's still got it!" Looking like an excited child, he went about choosing his prize as the disgruntled barker stopped to rearrange the bottles on the table. He returned to Barnaby and Karina with a tiny plush toy that closely resembled a minute version of Sky High, complete with the silver helmet and uplifted arms. He offered it to Karina, who slipped her hand out of Barnaby's to take the toy.

"It's cute," she commented. "I bet Keith would love to see this."

"Yeah, yeah," Kotetsu replied. "It's alright, but I'm sure a Wild Tiger plush would have been much better. The helmet is lopsided, see?"

"Did you use your Hundred Power?" Barnaby asked. He was genuinely surprised to see that Kotetsu had been able to get the shot; usually, the old man couldn't even handle a pen without somehow letting it slip out of his hand.

Kotetsu arched a brow. "No," he replied, a smile playing on his face. He was telling the truth; his eyes were still the same familiar shade of golden brown, not the tell-tale neon blue eyes of his activated NEXT state. "Why are you so surprised? I'm good at _some_ things, you know." He gave Karina a short wink before turning back towards the row of stalls, his eyes gleaming. "Don't worry, Bunny, I'll win something for you next time!"

Barnaby cocked his head as his chest tightened inexplicably. He momentarily watched as Kotetsu ambled in front of them, looking excitedly down the aisles of festivities, before feeling a gentle nudge from Karina. He turned to see her watching him, a half-smile set on her face. The Sky High plush had been nestled comfortably inside her pouch, and the top of its helmet peaked out comically from the satin folds. "Are you upset he didn't win you something this time?" she asked playfully.

Ah, so that was her game...he supposed that if both he and Karina were going to feel odd about the situation with Kotetsu, they might as well try to be humorous about it. "I think I'm past the stage where gifts flatter me," he said lightly as they walked after the old man. "Besides, that toy _is_ a little lopsided."

Karina looked up at him, eyebrow arched. "Your cheeks are a little red," she teased. "Well, even if Tiger can't keep up his winning streak, maybe I'll try a game later. That small bunny plush was kind of cute..."

Barnaby shook his head, adjusting his glasses as they walked down the row of stalls, passing more food stalls and games on every side. "What, one prize isn't enough for you?"

"Not for me," she chided. "I'd give it to you. Just so the bunny plush you keep in your apartment can have some company." He felt her hand reaching for his then, and grasped it tightly as they walked down the aisle.

If anything, this entire episode-since it really could not called a date any longer-could be treated as a test. Barnaby was never one to attribute anything to chance; perhaps this night was a wake-up call that he and Karina needed to deal with their feelings before progressing on to something new. Although he suddenly felt closer than ever to her, he still had to get over his unrequited feelings towards Kotetsu. And he had to continually remind himself that Karina was struggling with the exact same problem.

The festival was larger than he imagined, and at every turn there was something new to see. Although Barnaby had been to western carnivals in the past, he did not recall attending a Japanese-style carnival before. Food stalls sold barbequed chicken or squid on short sticks, bowls of fried noodles, flat vegetable pancakes topped with fish flakes. Kotetsu often stopped to sample his favorite treat, and this necessitated a quick break as Barnaby and Karina tried the snacks as well. Kotetsu, as everyone knew, was enthusiastic about things that interested him, and food was one of them. As they ate, he would often expound on the ingredients and fillings of each snack, with an invariable judgment of each portion as they ended their small meals. More than once, Barnaby thought he saw a certain, distant look in Kotetsu's eyes as the older man talked about his own festival days in his younger years. Mentions of Tomoe or Kaede became common through these conversations, as Kotetsu seemed eager to mention their clearly remembered likes and dislikes.

To Barnaby's relief, the festival goers left him alone-for the most part. There was never a day when he wasn't asked for an autograph, but luckily he was only stopped fifteen times during the course of the night. Most of the time he was asked politely by chatty young girls, who would come right up to him and politely ask for some of his time. Still, he noted, they grew a little quieter once they noted Karina standing next to him. Even with the domino mask covering the lower part of her face, she was elegant and simple in her blue yukata. Although she smiled at the girls who came up to them, most of his female fans seemed embarrassed as soon as they saw that she was with him. As soon as he autographed the items and posed for pictures with his fans, they would scamper shyly away from him, eyes still on Karina as they moved on.

Karina seemed to notice their immediate shyness as soon as they noticed her standing next to him. "Am I scaring your fans or something?" she commented to him, her lips near his collar bone. Kotetsu was standing in line at one of the drink stalls, waiting for a second round of sake from a different seller.

He smiled. "You seem to be intimidating them," he answered. "I'm not usually seen with anyone other than Tiger in public. Let alone a woman."

She nodded. "I bet everyone will be talking about it tomorrow," she said reflectively. "It's kind of weird, though. I'm used to intimidating people as Blue Rose, but not here...in my normal life." She sighed. "I know it's because I'm with you."

"Well, they did seem a little jealous as they walked away," he said lightly. "Take it as a compliment."

"I'll try," she answered. "But we're both heroes. You're getting all the attention."

"Well, you never know," he replied. Kotetsu had retrieved the cups of sake, and was returning to them with a grin on his face. "One day you might be more famous than me."

She smiled. Although they still did not know much about each other, he did know that she had a great passion in pursuing her music career. "Assuming you're still around, that is," she corrected him.

"Still around for what?" Kotetsu asked as he came up to them.

"For Karina's future career choices," Barnaby explained as Kotetsu handed Karina another cup of sake. Barnaby had only opted for the single cup of sake earlier in the night, since he was going to be driving; out of courtesy, Kotetsu had retrieved a cup of water for him.

Kotetsu looked fondly over to Karina. "When you become some big concert star, you mean," he said dreamily. Barnaby was beginning to wonder how many cups of sake his partner indulged himself in-Kotetsu had been drinking between snacks, and Barnaby had lost count of how many cups he had downed. "Well, just make sure you don't forget the older guy who came to watch you perform all those nights."

Barnaby could not help but raise an eyebrow at this. He knew that Kotetsu and Antonio sometimes drank at the same bar Karina played in, but from Kotetsu's tone of voice it seemed that he encountered Karina there quite often. He felt another odd feeling welling up inside his chest, as if he could not decide who to be more critical of-Kotetsu, for being so dense in the area of romance, or Karina, for carrying on her dead end crush.

Karina seemed to notice his discomfort, and shot him an apologetic glance. "You'll have to come watch me play some night, Bunny," she said quickly. "I'm not bad, if I do say so myself."

Kotetsu smiled lazily. "Not so humble as I thought," he said, putting out his free hand to gently pat Karina's hair, as if she was a child. Barnaby had the impression that if her hair hadn't been styled so neatly, Kotetsu may have even tried to tousle it.

"Well, she has to be proud of something," he said, trying his best to keep up the facade of the bored onlooker making insignificant small talk. "It's not as though you have much prowess saving people."

He was rewarded with this statement with a playful jab in the stomach from Karina's elbow. "Careful," she warned. "I'd get into the fact that I'm currently third place on the King of Heroes scoreboard, but I'll leave that fact for another argument."

"Third place?" Kotetsu echoed, eyes narrowing. "I thought I was third place. Last time I checked, anyway. I was doing well!"

"You were in third place two weeks ago, old man," Barnaby shot back, putting a hand on his hip. "Karina has overtaken you in the rankings as of last week."

Kotetsu shook his head, and Barnaby could tell that the older man did not even really seem to care what his rank was. "Well, whatever," he said dismissively. "Let's not talk about all that stuff now. We're here to have fun, am I right?"

Both Barnaby and Karina remained silent for a minute. Barnaby was not going to take the bait, but Karina decided to willingly give in. "Right," she chimed in.

"How about a toast?" Kotetsu raised his cup in the air. Karina followed his example, although a sideways glance towards Barnaby told him that she was merely humoring him at this point. With a sigh, Barnaby raised his cup of water towards the other two, the sides coming together with a satisfying clink.

"To new friendships!" Kotetsu said theatrically, and Barnaby found himself throwing a side glance to Karina in amusement as their cups came together. Kotetsu wasted no time in taking a long swig of the sake, while Karina sipped hers.

"Ah," the older man said. "I'm glad you two are finally getting along."

...

It had not been quite the night she envisioned, but she didn't count it as a waste.

Still, through all the unexpected happenings of their three-person date, the last thing she thought she would be doing was reaching into Kotetsu's yukata, her fingers brushing against the muscles of his chest. His skin was warm and flushed, and felt smooth against her bare fingers.

"In here?" she asked. She was fairly certain her cheeks were bright red. The older man's skin was warm to the touch, and she felt a certain, unbidden delight rising within her.

"It should be in there," Barnaby answered, shifting the older man in his arms. Kotetsu's head lolled onto his shoulder, his eyes fluttering open and and closed. Barnaby's face was disdainful yet oddly patient; she could tell that he had been through these types of situations before. After all, Kotetsu had passed out at Club Phoenix only a few weeks earlier.

She snapped out of her nervous trance and finally located the small pocket built into the front of Kotetsu's yukata. She carefully unzipped it, and felt around the small patch of fabric for the item she was looking for. "Here it is," she said, her fingers finally grasping the small key.

"Good," Barnaby said. "The old man's getting a bit heavy."

Karina took the key and turned to face the front door of Kotetsu's home. She slid the key into the the lock, which made a short clanging noise as the door clicked open. Karina pushed it, and held it back so that Barnaby could enter with his load.

This was not the first time she had been to Kotetsu's house-she had been here once or twice before, with the other heroes. Although they all saw each other often enough, they always found ways to see each other outside their duties as heroes, and aside from working out together in the gym. She had last been to Kotetsu's house a few months ago, if she recalled correctly-they had cobbled together an excuse to gather for some occasion. _Antonio's birthday?_ she tried to recall as she flipped on a switch in the hallway.

The living room was as she remembered it. The furniture was in neat and tidy condition, if not slightly outdated with the muted patterns on the furniture. There were a few empty bottles of beer on the coffee table, and some DVDs were laid out next to them. Although she only took a fleeting look at them, she knew that they were probably DVDs of Mr. Legend, or something to do with the Golden Age of Heroes. No doubt Kotetsu had been watching something earlier in the day.

She let Barnaby enter before going behind him to the shut the door. "Thanks," the blonde told her. She was still getting used to his expressions, but she thought she could see a slight hint of apology in his eyes. "You probably never imagined our night would end up like this."

"No," she admitted. "But I'm used to things not coming out exactly as I planned."

Barnaby shook his head in frustration. "I probably should have cut him off after the first few drinks," he reflected. "I know him well enough by now."

"It's okay," she answered. "He was enjoying himself."

A few moments of silence followed before Barnaby tilted his head, eyes flashing on the stairs up to Kotetsu's room. "If you wait here for a few minutes, I'll make sure he gets to bed. I can take you home after that."

"I'll come with you. Maybe you could use an extra set of hands."

Barnaby arched an eyebrow, but said nothing to dissuade her as he began the climb up to Kotetsu's room, making sure the older man's feet didn't brush against the sides of the wall as he ascended. Karina followed him, holding up the long skirt of her yukata with her hands."It sounds as though you're eager to see this," he commented dryly as they climbed.

Karina shook her head slightly, but decided to be truthful about her feelings. "I...there is a part of me that still does like him, Bunny. And I know you feel the same way." There was nothing to lose by letting the facts out into the open now.

He was silent for a few moments as they both climbed the stairs, Kotetsu stirring fitfully in Barnaby's arms. They reached the top of the stairs, and Karina pushed open the door to Kotetsu's bedroom. They walked inside, Karina flipping open the light switch as Barnaby gently lay the older man down onto the mattress. Kotetsu seemed to be deep in sleep at this point; he sighed softly as Barnaby placed his arms near his sides, but it did not seem as though he would wake any time soon.

"I should undress him," Barnaby murmured, in a voice that seemed almost shamed. "He's going to get his yukata wrinkled. He'll have to get it dry cleaned."

Karina shook her head. "Even at a time like this, you're so particular about clothes," she admonished. "Do you need me to help?"

"Not really," he admitted. "This isn't the first time I've had to do this."

She narrowed her eyes with interest. She knew what he meant, but she couldn't help herself when she decided to press him. "You mean you've undressed him before?" he asked, twisting the end of her question slightly, giving it an accusatory tone. If they were going to be uncomfortable in this whole situation, she may as well try to play with him.

He took another look at her, and it seemed that he was performing a short evaluation of her thoughts. "Not like that," he finally said, with a short sigh. "You know what I mean. When's he had too much to drink."

Karina nodded. "I thought so," she answered. "I just wanted to make sure. Here," she said, her eyes returning to Kotetsu's prone form. "I'll fold his clothes after you take them off."

Barnaby opened his mouth as if to protest, but shut it a second later. "If you insist on staying up here," he said, as he bent down to his task. Kotetsu was breathing evenly, his head tilted to one side as Barnaby set about untying the obi on his yukata.

They worked quickly; less than five minutes later, Kotetsu lay before them wearing only a thin undershirt and and underwear, still as oblivious as before. Karina had folded the obi and yukata and set them on a chest of drawers across from Kotetsu's bed.

"Should we put him under the covers?" she asked Barnaby.

Barnaby was still watching Kotetsu with uncertainty. There was another emotion in his eyes too, but Karina was unable to discern exactly what it was. _Longing?_ she thought, with a stab of jealousy. But she could not be too angry with Barnaby; they had both just admitted they still had feelings for the old man, after all. "He's fine the way he is," Barnaby finally said. "Come on."

They descended the stairs in silence. Karina did not chose to speak until they were facing each other at the bottom of stairs, Barnaby's hand still on the bannister. "What do you usually do after a night like this?" she asked him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Even though I dislike it, I usually wait for a few hours before leaving," Barnaby admitted. "After one of Kotetsu's escapades, you can never tell what kind of trouble he might get into. He's sleeping now, but there have been times when he's gone out of control."

"The Wrecker for Justice, huh?" Karina asked, recalling the media's favored nickname for Wild Tiger. Barnaby would have to tell her some of these stories one day.

"If you can believe it," Barnaby answered. "I can tell you about it on our way to your house. Let me just-"

"Wait," she said firmly. "Who said I was going home?"

...

To be continued.

I took a long time in delivering this next chapter. Things were extremely hectic during the last two months, so sorry for the delay. I thought this would be the last chapter, but there will be one more chapter after this, so please keep reading! As always, constructive criticism and suggestions are more than welcome.


	12. Epiphany

Disclaimer: All Tiger & Bunny elements belong to Sunrise.

Practice  
Chapter 12: Epiphany

by archfaith

There had been sake, plenty of it. A variety of snacks hawked by sellers in yukatas, alternating between cooking their wares and taking cash from their patrons. The crowds of people, young, old, and in-between. Karina, with her half-mask, and the Sky High plush nestled inside her pouch. And Barnaby, eyebrows knit, giving him an incredulous stare.

Kotetsu raised his head.

The pounding headache he had been trying to suppress suddenly came to hit him again, and he sank back down into his pillow with a groan. He should have known better than to drink so much, but then again, who was he kidding? He always knew better. The testament to his weak will lay in the empty beer and wine bottles strewn about his apartment, not to mention the unopened cache he hid in the drawers beneath the stairs. If excessive drinking was some sort of problem, he reasoned, it hadn't stopped him being a hero for all those years after Tomoe passed away. He knew to control it, when to refrain from indulging himself.

_ Just once in a while is fine_. That was what he wanted to believe, anyway.

He mustered the strength to open his eyes. He was dressed in his underwear and undershirt, lying face up on his bed above the covers. His spied his yukata and obi neatly folded on top of the chest of drawers in the corner. _Bunny_, he thought simply. Somehow, Barnaby always stuck by him during these escapades; despite the disapproving glances and chagrined looks, Barnaby would be by his side, through thick and thin. No matter how drunk he got at any bar or lounge, if Barnaby was with him, he knew he would end up home by the end of the night.

He sat up slowly, though the room still seemed a little fuzzy in his vision. His head still throbbed, but he knew these headaches would only last until the early afternoon; he had gotten used to hangovers by now. A quick glance to the digital clock on his night table told him that it was already 11 A.M; it was Sunday, and a day for resting up for the coming week. But there was no doubt there would be a crime to deal with later in the day; every time he thought he would get a few hours to himself, his call band sounded, and off he went to be Wild Tiger again.

He swung his legs off the bed and stood on slightly wobbly legs. He pushed the hair back from his eyes, his fingers sliding down to the cat-shaped beard on his chin. _Need to shave_, he thought dully. _I_ _must look terrible._

Luckily, there was no one to observe his morning appearance. In the old days, back when he and Tomoe had lived together in Stern Bild, he would always make sure to look his best when he woke. He would leave Tomoe lying blissfully in bed, rushing to the bathroom to make himself presentable. She would inevitably be awake by the time he returned, smiling, asking why he went to the trouble to shave and comb his hair when they saw each other each day.

_ So much for that._

Scratching the back of his head absently, Kotetsu ambled over to the closet in the corner, pulling out a nondescript gray robe that Muramasa had given him as a birthday present. His older brother had never been very imaginative, and his gifts were much the same-boring and practical. But the robe worked. It functioned, it had its purposes. _At least it still has its purposes._

He slipped the bathrobe around his shoulders and opened the door to his room. He carefully descended the staircase, going down slowly since he still felt dizzy. If he couldn't get back to sleep, perhaps he could at least try to sober up. He had promised Kaede that he would proofread one of her school essays first thing in the morning. She was much like Tomoe in regards to being responsible for schoolwork; he had no doubt that she had already e-mailed the essay to him, and was now waiting impatiently by her computer for his response. In his younger days he had never been a good student, but he could at least try to help her. As much as he tried to be there for her in any capacity he could be, the distance between them had never fully healed. When he had spent a year at home with his family, it had been Kaede who told him that he was becoming a couch potato. He had sensed that there was a deeper sentiment in her childish scolding.

_ Maybe one day, when she's older_, he told himself as he reached the bottom stair. _Then she can-_

The idle thoughts evaporated out of his mind as he observed the scene on the couch.

Barnaby was lying on his back, eyes firmly shut, his normally perfect hair askew. This may not have been so surprising to Kotetsu, but it was the addition which made him curious-Karina was sprawled out on top of him, her head tucked under his chin, fingers spread against his chest. They were both dressed in underclothes; Barnaby was in black undershorts, and Karina in a pink bra and panties. Their yukatas and obis had been laid out neatly on the small loveseat across from the long couch.

Both were fast asleep, Barnaby's chest rising every few seconds with a calm, peaceful rhythm. One arm was draped over the front of couch, but the other hand was resting against the small of Karina's back. Kotetsu suddenly noted that Karina's hand was curled firmly around Barnaby's glasses, resting inside her closed palm on top of his chest.

_ What are they...?_

If it only been Barnaby, it might not have been so surprising. Barnaby had escorted Kotetsu home a number of times before, when the older man had too much to drink; Kotetsu knew that his partner would sometimes stay an extra hour or so after making sure Kotetsu was safely in bed. But Barnaby had never elected to stay the night. When Kotetsu would emerge in the morning with his inevitable hangover, the only sign that Barnaby had been there at all would be the presence of a slightly cleaner, less cluttered living room. Barnaby had never enjoyed sleeping in beds that weren't his own; even when the duo had been called to work on an action movie a few months back, Barnaby had grudgingly agreed to stay at the luxury hotel provided to them by the film crew.

The presence of Karina made Kotetsu even more confused. He knew that she and Barnaby had been trying to know each other a little better, but had it gotten to the point where she was comfortable sleeping in his arms? It was odd-when they had all gone out together the night before, she and Barnaby had been acting so comfortable with each other that Kotetsu could have sworn they had been old friends or something.

He stood there for a few moments, watching the sleeping pair. They looked so peaceful with each other, so quiet. He had seen Barnaby asleep countless times before, mostly during the nights when his partner let Kotetsu stay over at his apartment after a drinking session. Barnaby had never offered him his bed when Kotetsu stayed over, but the older man had to admit-he would not have minded sharing it. He was still confused about his feelings towards Barnaby; he had never been attracted to men in his young adulthood, but there was something about Barnaby that was magnetic. It hadn't been that way at first, not when they had first known each other. But something-he wasn't sure what-had formed between them in the two years they had known each other. It didn't help that they spent so much time together, during their work as heroes and in their off time. Kotetsu had often caught himself staring at the outline of his partner's form as they rode together in the Double Chaser, or watching the delicate eyelashes that framed Barnaby's green eyes.

Yet the feelings had nowhere to go, and had eventually tapered down over the past few months. The year that he and Barnaby had spent apart had been good for them, he reflected. Although he had missed the days when he and Barnaby patrolled the streets as Tiger and Bunny, he appreciated the quiet days spent at home with Kaede, his mom, and Muramasa. It had helped to take his mind off Barnaby, at any rate. Now, back with Barnaby in Stern Bild, he had had inklings of those old feelings rising up again. He had sometimes wondered what kind of pair they would make if they became romantic with each other, but he resigned himself to the fact that Barnaby seemed highly uninterested in anything resembling a relationship. _Besides, what would a handsome young guy like him want with an old man? _Kotetsu thought glumly.

His thoughts turned to Karina. He had never seen her asleep before. Her eyes were closed lightly, and she sighed as she shifted against Barnaby's chest. _She really is cute_, Kotetsu reflected. She had started out so young in her career as a hero; she had been barely sixteen when she first appeared as Blue Rose. Kotetsu had watched her rise to fame with interest, although his fondness for her had grown into something else along with her age. He recalled what he'd told Barnaby a few weeks earlier, when he'd discovered that his partner and Karina had slept in the same bed. _If I was as young as you, I don't know if I could have kept my hands off her. _

It was the truth. He hadn't meant to say it in such a casual way, but he acknowledged that he had never been one to think things through. Karina was young and ambitious, even if her sentiments as a hero were misplaced. If they had been closer in age, he might have considered going after her. But that was only a wistful thought. Hell, if he and Barnaby had been closer in age...

_Too much baggage, _he thought dully, throwing a glance over to the framed wedding photo of himself and Tomoe, resting on a side table. _Such a broken old man._

Bringing his thoughts back to the scene before him, he raised an eyebrow as he observed Barnaby and Karina. _Those two have to be careful_, he thought to himself. A few more nights snuggling up like this and they might even start to...

._..like each other_.

The realization hit him swiftly, and he almost took a step back in his surprise. The thought sped through his mind, starting at the base of his skull and trickling down through his chest, his stomach, all the way down to his legs and to the tips of his toes.

_They like each other._

Barnaby and Karina...they had begun to talk to each other more, both onscreen for HeroTV and in their off-duty hours. Barnaby had gone after Karina after her mishap with the wine at Nathan's club; they had emerged from the guest suite the next day, confessing they had slept in the same bed together. And now, only last night, they had arranged to go to the Harvest Festival with each other.

_ They like each other._

Kotetsu almost smacked himself in frustration. How could he not have noticed before? There had been signs, now that he looked back on it-the concerned look Barnaby had on his face as he went to tend to Karina's injury, the curious tone that Karina had in her voice when she summoned Barnaby's call band. And the looks on both of their faces as they emerged to breakfast in Nathan's kitchen. They had both looked so surprised and embarrassed to reveal themselves. _And I only egged them on! _

He looked back to their sleeping forms, blissfully unaware that he was thinking about them. Such a strange couple they made-he never would have guessed that out of all the possible combinations, Barnaby and Karina would willingly chose to start seeing each other. But of course, it had probably gone past the point of just trying out the relationship.

_ They must have really good sex._

He shook his head in embarrassment, mortified that the thought had even crossed his mind. But he could not help but wonder about this point. They were both healthy, athletic, decidedly attractive. He assumed they had both been virgins, though they had most likely left this title behind them back in Nathan's penthouse a few weeks ago. It was hard not to imagine what happened when they were alone together...

Barnaby shifted slightly, and Kotetsu felt a jolt of surprise, wondering if he could somehow sense that his own partner had been contemplating his love life. The blonde opened his eyes slightly, squinting in the late morning light. His eyes first traveled down to Karina's partially nude form, although they did not seem to carry any hint of surprise there. Next, he raised his eyes to Kotetsu, a few steps away from the couch.

Kotetsu mustered a smile and raised a hand to scratch the back of his head. "Good morning, Bunny," he said, plastering a smile on his face. He could already sense it was too late; he could practically feel his cheeks turning red.

"Good morning," Barnaby answered, his voice slightly heavy from sleep.

"I'm sorry that you and Rose had to bring me back here. I overdid it again."

"As usual."

"You decided to stay over?"

It seemed that Barnaby was only now noting the lateness of the morning hour, as his eyes noted the time on the clock above the television. "I was going to drive Karina home, but she insisted on staying for a while. I suppose we ended up falling asleep."

There was a pause here, as the two men stared at each other, Karina still fast asleep against Barnaby's chest.

Kotetsu dropped his hand, his expression growing serious. "You could have told me, you know."

Barnaby cocked his head. Any other person would have asked for clarification, but Kotetsu knew that Barnaby already understood what he was referring to. "I wasn't sure how to address it," he said after a few moments.

Kotetsu raised an eyebrow. "You weren't sure?" he repeated. "How about, 'Hey Tiger, Karina and I are seeing each other'. That sort of thing."

Barnaby sighed, and Karina's prone body rose slightly against his own. "It's not that easy," he answered. "There were a lot of factors. We...Karina and I...we're new to this kind of relationship."

Kotetsu crossed his arms over his chest. "I know," he said. "I was just thinking maybe I could give you guys some pointers, that's all."

Barnaby made a small sound then, something between a sigh and a chuckle. "You?" he repeated. "That's an interesting assumption."

"You forget that I was happily married for over ten years?"

"I didn't," Barnaby answered smoothly. "But that was a much different situation than this one."

"Well," Kotetsu said simply, and for once he found that he had nothing to say. "Congratulations. I'm happy for you guys."

Barnaby raised an eyebrow. "I don't know if 'congratulations' is the right term here," he said. "But thanks."

Kotetsu still felt an odd feeling inside of him; he was confused about their relationship, and confused towards his feelings towards both of them. But this was no time to ponder the intricacies of a new relationship-for all he cared, it wasn't even his business to meddle about in the first place. "Hey, how about I make you guys breakfast?" he asked, deciding to grow a little more enthusiastic. "To thank you for bringing me home last night."

"If you insist," Barnaby answered. "Nothing too heavy though."

"No," Kotetsu agreed. "I'll whip up something light for the three of us." He turned to head into the kitchen. "You two can wash up if you need to."

Even though he was barely awake, Barnaby still managed to move gracefully. He merely nodded his head as Kotetsu turned to go into the kitchen. The older man pushed open the door, and strode across the floor to the cabinets. The odd feelings were still there, but he had to push them aside for now. He couldn't let the feelings of a tired old man interfere with this new connection Barnaby and Karina had made. It didn't matter how he felt about them, anyway-they didn't feel the same about him.

_ It's okay_, he told himself as he took a few plates down from the cabinet. He had to be happy for them-they were young. Perhaps not in love-not yet, at any rate-but that could develop, in time. If it was really meant to turn out that way.

He resolved that he would try to watch out for them as best as he could.

...

Barnaby watched the door to the kitchen swing shut, a slight frown on his face. The entire matter could have been handled differently-he sensed that the time wasn't right for Kotetsu to know about him and Karina. There had to have been a better way.

He had not intended to stay the night on Kotetsu's couch. The night before, Karina had indicated that she was not in the mood for going home yet; they had elected to spend some time at Kotetsu's place, as Barnaby often did after bringing the old man home after a long night. They had only intended to talk for an hour or so, just to ensure that Kotetsu did not get into any trouble during his drunken state. They had tried watching some of Kotetsu's superhero DVDs, but one could only be interested in the exploits of Mr. Legend for so long.

The next thing he knew, Karina was nodding off next to him, her head on his shoulder as she sank in closer to him. He would have escorted her home just the same, but his own tiredness had gotten the best of him; it had been the least he could do to quickly undress the both of them, laying their yukatas out on the smaller couch before settling down with Karina. He had sworn that he had been wearing his glasses when he had fallen asleep, but Karina was now clutching them between her fingers.

He initially thought they would wake before Kotetsu and leave quickly, but those plans had gone awry. He had to admit-ever since he and Karina had started seeing each other, he had become a little less calm, less organized. No one else would notice, of course, since these changes were so tiny; but Barnaby himself was beginning to observe the changes in his demeanor. _Is this a good thing or a bad thing?_ he thought to himself as Karina stirred slightly, raising her head with half-open eyes to peer at his face.

"Hey," she said, her voice raspy and idle.

"Good morning," he answered, tilting his head.

"Hmmm," she muttered, opening her eyes a little wider. She looked down at her closed palm, enveloped around his glasses. "Where..." she blinked a few times, her brown eyes bright against the sunlight of the couch.

Barnaby sighed. "We ended up staying over," he told her. "It was my plan to leave early in the morning, but Kotetsu beat us to it."

Her eyes widened. "He's awake?"

"Yes," he confirmed. "And he knows."

Karina was silent for a moment, her brows furrowed. He wondered what exactly she was thinking behind those reflective eyes. "How?"

Barnaby shook his head. "He just seemed to guess, I suppose. I guess his intuition finally caught up to him."

"Okay," she said simply. "Where is he?"

"He's making breakfast," Barnaby answered. "He expects us to stay for that, at least."

Karina shook her head against his chest. "This just gets weirder and weirder," she commented with a frown. "It's odd, trying to explain this to everyone."

"You think?" Barnaby answered. "I'm going to wash up. You'll have to give me back my glasses."

Though he expected her to hand them to him, she took the opportunity to unfold them herself, gently pushing them down onto the bridge of his nose. He could not help but give her a brief smile, though they stayed silent as Karina pushed herself up, and stood up on wobbly legs. Barnaby rose from the couch, stretching his arms with a catlike yawn. The pair proceeded to the stairs. "Did he see me in my underwear?" she commented dryly as she followed him up the stairs.

"What else?" he asked. "Besides, your Blue Rose outfit leaves about the same to the imagination." He looked down at his own, unclothed body. "I'm wearing as less clothes as you."

"But that's not the same," she argued as they reached the top of the stairs. Barnaby pushed open the door to the bathroom. "Haven't you seen each other changing before?"

"Well, those are some stories..." he began. He entered the bathroom and swiftly pushed open the shower curtain. "I'll go first," he said. "You can-"

He turned around, expecting to see her standing in the doorway; however, the door was now closed, and Karina was reaching behind her back. A quick snap, and the clasp of her bra came undone.

"I'll join you," she volunteered as she laid the bra on the counter. "We'll take less time if we shower together."

"We will?" Barnaby asked, raising an eyebrow. He honestly had not even thought of asking her to join him in the shower; they were in Kotetsu's house, after all, and he was feeling slightly nervous about the way Kotetsu had asked him about himself and Karina. The last thing he wanted to do was to play with temptation.

She shook her head, with just a hint of a smile playing on her face. "If you can control yourself, so can I," she offered.

"Is that a challenge?" he asked, lowering his voice. At any other time, he would have been tempted to take advantage of the situation; but here, the issue was time. _And conduct_, he thought. They had been rather thoughtless during their first tryst at Nathan's penthouse.

"No fooling around," she said, holding her hands up in the air. "I'll be good. If you are, that is."

He found that he did not really want to argue with her; besides, he felt that there was really no reason to. "Well, after you."

A few seconds later, they had both undressed; he stepped in after her nude form, pulling the shower curtain firmly behind him.

...

They knew when to be take their time, and when to be efficient. At any other moment in time, taking a shower together would have been considered an invitation; now, it was merely a way to get clean. Less than five minutes later they were finished, bodies steaming and fresh as they dried themselves off in the small bathroom. They did not have spare clothes except for their yukatas in the living room, though Barnaby informed her that Kotetsu would not mind if they borrowed some of his items. _He knows Kotetsu so well_, she reflected as she watched Barnaby open the hall closet next to the bathroom, where a few stacks of pants and shirts were neatly folded on low shelves. "Take this," he told her immediately, handing her a dark blue button-up shirt and a pair of leggings.

The leggings fit well, but the blouse was oversized, and hung halfway down to her knees. "Nothing a little more feminine?" she joked as she slipped it around her shoulders.

Barnaby chuckled. "Not unless you want to wear some of Kaede's spare outfits." He had settled on a pair of loose black pants, with a more fitted thermal t-shirt. His hair was still damp, and had not yet regained its familiar curls.

"The leggings fit fine, though," she said idly as they headed downstairs. "Who did they belong to?"

Barnaby narrowed his eyes, but the gesture was not in contempt; it was rather wistful, if she was deciphering it properly. He did not say anything, but she guessed the answer almost as soon as she asked the question. Although Tomoe had been gone for almost seven years now, her ghost still hung over Kotetsu's life.

As they headed down the stairs, she silently wondered if these awkward situations with Barnaby were ever going to come to a close; their entire relationship had been built on strange encounters in the first place. For once, it would have been nice to enjoy a normal morning together; the addition of Kotetsu, who now knew about their relationship, would make it challenging. _Maybe next time._

They entered the kitchen as two slices of bread popped out of the toaster, crisp and brown. Although the breakfast spread on the table in the kitchen was nothing compared to the array of foods found in Nathan's penthouse, it still looked hearty. Kotetsu was standing near the stove, impatiently coaxing a huge mass of scrambled eggs from a frying pan onto a plate. The small table was set for three, with glasses of orange juice and a plate of slightly burnt bacon.

"Ah, there you are," he greeted, triumphantly setting the empty pan down. He was wearing a plain gray robe, fastened tight around his waist. His eyes were slightly red, and his cat-shaped beard was sprouting some loose hairs.

"Hey Tiger," Karina greeted. She mustered a smile, trying to forget how she had needed to reach into his yukata just the night before.

"You call this a light breakfast?" Barnaby commented, settling down onto one of the wooden chairs. Karina took his cue, and settled down next to him.

Kotetsu placed the plate of eggs on the table. "You caught me off guard!" he explained. "I didn't have much else."

"Cereal would have been fine."

"For you, maybe," Kotetsu answered. "But Rose has never eaten breakfast here before. I wanted to prove that this old man can still serve up something good!"

She giggled. "You don't have to prove anything to me, Tiger."

Kotetsu shook his head and joined them at the table. "Well, eat up!" he instructed.

Karina was not particularly hungry, but dutifully gathered some scrambled eggs onto her plate as Barnaby sipped his glass of orange juice. As far as she was concerned, the eggs were tasteless, and the bacon much the same. Still, she took a forkful of egg and chewed. "Not bad," she commented, though she had the idea to ask for salt.

Kotetsu had placed some of the eggs and toast on his own plate as well, but he had not touched it. He stared down at it, as if in reflection for a moment, before looking up and addressing both of them directly. "Listen...I'm sorry if I barged in your date last night. I didn't know you guys were seeing each other," he said earnestly.

Karina frowned. "You didn't barge in," she corrected. "It was fine. We all had fun."

"Did you?" Kotetsu asked. "With this old man playing third wheel?"

Barnaby set his glass down, though Karina noted that he had not touched any of the food. "If we hadn't wanted you to come, I would have put my foot down and told you from the beginning," he admonished. "If anything, this is our fault-Karina and I. We should have told you sooner."

Kotetsu sighed, although it seemed more expectant than regretful. "Alright, alright," he said. "I know you're just trying to make me feel better. Thanks. But really," he continued, poking his fork into the eggs, "you two make a great pair."

_You two make a great pair._ The statement was almost the exact opposite of what Agnes told them those few weeks ago, during their failed audition in front of Robert and Lloyds. Karina stayed silent; Barnaby, to her surprise, spoke. "You think so?" he asked, leaning forwards.

"Yeah." The familiar, idle smile had returned to Kotetsu's face, and Karina felt a sudden, inexplicable rush of relief. "I mean, you're both pretty attractive. If you don't mind me saying so, Bunny," he said, throwing a quick look at Barnaby's face. "It's definitely not a pairing I would have imagined, but it could work. You might be able to learn a lot from each other. Boyfriends and girlfriends usually do."

"We aren't boyfriend and girlfriend." "We aren't boyfriend and girlfriend."

Karina felt the words leaving her lips as she heard Barnaby echoing them. They had said the exact same phrase at the same time, with no inkling of how the other would react.

Karina felt the red blush descend on her cheeks; looking over at Barnaby, she was gratified to see that he had the same shades on his face. Why had they both had such a strong reaction to Kotetsu's words? In essence, those were the titles normally bestowed on people in such a relationship; why should it be any different for her and Barnaby? _Boyfriend? _She rolled the word over in her head. It didn't fit, and there was no way for her to alter her idea of Barnaby to fit him into that frame. Judging from his reaction, he probably felt the same way.

As much as they liked each other and grew closer in each other's company, there were still hurdles to face here. They had specified that they were in a relationship that was neither meaningless nor frivolous, but no one had yet labeled it for what it was. That much was obvious.

They both sat, slightly mortified, as Kotetsu eyed them both fondly. "Well, whatever you guys want to call it," he continued, finally giving up on the eggs. "You guys are more alike than you'd think. But I'm guessing it wasn't love at first sight."

...

To be continued.

End note: Another chapter in the weird, confusing love life of Barnaby and Karina. I hope you enjoyed it. I did say that this would be the last chapter; originally it was much longer, so I thought it might be better to divide the super long chapter into two chapters. I feel as though I've been promising the last chapter for some time now. Perhaps I don't want this story to end!

I loved finally getting into Kotetsu's head for this chapter. I love Tiger so much, and have been trying to get him into the story when appropriate. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. Please don't hesitate in leaving me any comments, suggestions, or constructive criticism. I truly enjoy hearing from other T&B fans.


	13. Potential

Disclaimer: All Tiger & Bunny elements belong to Sunrise.

Special note: Unlike the other sections of the story, which are told from only one character's point of view, I decided to tell this chapter from both Barnaby's and Karina's combined point of view. Since this is the final chapter, there were sentiments I wanted to express that were common to both of them, so I decided to tell it this way.

Practice

Chapter 13: Potential

by archfaith

For once in his life, Kotetsu was able to read the atmosphere; sensing their discomfort at his words, he did not prod them with further questions about how they entered into the arrangement in the first place. He quickly changed the subject, instead choosing to talk about some kind of assignment that Kaede was having him proofread. Neither Barnaby nor Karina spoke much during the remainder of breakfast; neither to each other, nor to Kotetsu. As he picked at his toast, Barnaby found himself pondering why exactly he had such a knee-jerk reaction to Kotetsu's innocent comment-_boyfriends and girlfriends_. He somehow could not even fathom the slight possibility that he had a person known as a _girlfriend _in the first place.

_In essence, that is what we are, though._ Every now and then, he threw a glance over to Karina. Although she attended politely to Kotetsu's small talk, he knew her well enough to know that she was distracted. She seemed to be similarly affected by their simultaneous protest that they were not boyfriend and girlfriend. He could not help but feel concern at this point; he did not want her to feel uncomfortable, but he could not particularly make things better for her when he felt the same way.

_We have a lot to work on. That's certain._

Karina could feel Barnaby's critical eye on her, and this only served to make her nervous. She wondered if he felt offended by her reaction, but then again-his had been the same. _This whole thing is a mess_, she told herself over and over again. The only element that kept the meal together was Kotetsu's insignificant conversation. Although she was usually rapt with attention at whatever the old man said, today she found that she could almost care less. All she wanted to do was to talk with Barnaby, alone and without pretense.

Thankfully, breakfast was relatively short; halfway through, they had all decided to declare the eggs inedible, much to Barnaby's relief. He always tried to humor Kotetsu by tasting some of his 'cooking', but the only really good dish the old man could make was his famous fried rice.

It was a Sunday, and therefore a day of rest; typically the heroes relaxed, or went to the gym for a few hours in the afternoon. Although he was in top physical condition, Barnaby would still take the extra hours working out; it was a hard habit to shake. No doubt there would also be some mindless e-mail from Lloyds waiting for him on his computer, as well; usually it was a request for some pre-signed autograph for charity, or to schedule a date with a fan who had won a radio call-in contest. All the same-all boring. Even though Barnaby had earlier expressed his taste for fame and all the advantages it brought, he could not help but feel indifferent after a while. After helping Kotetsu load his dishwasher with the plates and glasses, Barnaby found himself making the usual polite excuses to depart.

"You're leaving?" Kotetsu asked as he settled down onto the couch.

"Yes," Barnaby answered. "I'm just off to do my usual routine. I'll give Karina a ride home first. Then I'll stop by my apartment, before I head over to the gym for a few hours."

"Hmm," Kotetsu nodded. "Bunny, always the strict one. What about you, Rose?"

"I've got to do some homework," Karina answered. "I have to graduate this year, remember?" Being a hero did not excuse her from her own responsibilities, however juvenile they might be in comparison to her crimefighting work as Blue Rose. She usually did try to work out on Sundays, but this weekend she had no excuse-she had spent her the entirety of her Saturday morning prepping herself for the date to the Festival, and hadn't done any of the assignments for class the next day.

"I keep forgetting how young you are," Kotetsu commented. He stretched, limbs catlike and long against the cushions. "Such an exciting day for you two," he said sarcastically. "You can borrow those clothes for now, if you want."

"Thanks," Barnaby answered earnestly. Although Kotetsu's clothes were slightly outdated-probably five years behind the current fashions, at least-it would be better than driving home in their wrinkled yukatas. "We'll give them back to you during training."

_I hope he doesn't mind me borrowing Tomoe's leggings_, Karina thought, looking down at her simple attire. Then again, the only other female clothes in Kotetsu's closet were Kaede's spare vacation outfits, and there was no way that she would fit into those. "I'll return these clothes to you during the week," she promised him. She had reverted back into the slightly shy persona; she couldn't help herself. This was the way she had acted around Tiger for so long, and it was hard to break the habit. "Thanks for breakfast."

"We'll do this again some time," Barnaby found himself adding, without a thought.

Kotetsu cocked his head. "Do 'this' again?" he echoed. "What-have me interrupt your hot dates, and then get you to escort my drunk ass home when you two have more exciting things to do?"

"Thank you for putting that so eloquently," Barnaby replied, though he wasn't quite sure what he was trying to say. "I've helped you so home so many times that it's become second nature to me by now." He had truly lost count of the amount of times he had assisted Tiger during his drunken states. The only difference this time, of course, had been the addition of Karina. "I'm used to it by now."

"Hm," Tiger said thoughtfully. "I'm glad Karina has you to be the responsible one, Barnaby."

Barnaby frowned. He stole a quick sideways look to Karina, who was equally at a loss for words. "Well," he said after a few moments. "I-"

"I mean it," Kotetsu insisted, sitting up. "You're still pretty stiff sometimes, but your heart is in the right place. Maybe you can start using it now." His liquid brown eyes turned to Karina. "You too, Rose. You two are going to be good together."

Karina frowned. "I don't think it's really like that..."

"If you guys care about each other, it will be," Kotetsu insisted, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "You may not get what I'm talking about now. One day, you will."

Barnaby sighed. Although he had known Kotetsu for a number of years now, the older man could still be so cryptic when he wanted to be. There was no better option than to leave it at that. "Thanks for the encouragement," he said, and he meant it.

Karina, however, saw something slightly different. Kotetsu's smile, usually given so freely and easily, seemed strained. The slight wrinkles near his eyes twitched as he stood up, as if he was making an effort to seem happy for them. "Here," Kotetsu said, standing up. "I'll get you some bags to put the yukatas in."

A few minutes later, she and Barnaby had bundled their yukatas and obis into plastic shopping bags. Kotetsu saw them to the front door, and waved a brief goodbye as they headed down the steps and onto the sidewalk. Barnaby could have sworn that old man gave him a sly wink before closing the door, but he could never be sure.

Barnaby's car was parked right in front of Kotetsu's house. To any pedestrians observing the odd couple, they might have looked like they had been partying all night; they were dressed in fitting yet ill-matched clothes, with Japanese sandals still on their feet and their hair slightly rumpled. The tabloid and gossip blogs would have a field if they knew that Barnaby and Blue Rose were dating; the fans were relentless celebrity chasers, making up lewd stories and spreading lies and rumors. But falling asleep on a friend's couch after ferrying him home was hardly anyone's definition of a wild time.

Barnaby swung into the driver's sear of his car as Karina slid into the passenger seat next to him. "I'll tell you the way to my house," she said. "We just need to get to a major road."

"Don't you live in the Gold Stage?" he asked, inserting the key into the ignition.

She nodded. "On Gold Upper East," she corroborated. "Eighty-eighth Street and Sixth Avenue, near the river."

"It will be easy to find," he said. The car pulled out of its parking space in front of Kotetsu's house and sped off down the street. "Should I drop you off in front of your place?"

"Maybe not in front," she replied. "My parents would have a heart attack if they saw you giving me a ride home. I haven't told them about you yet." They were making small talk now, carefully not addressing the incident during breakfast.

Traffic was light for a Sunday afternoon, and they made steady progress to the main highway. The two remained silent for the first few minutes as they both reflected over the events of last night and this morning; the biggest development being that Kotetsu knew about their relationship. There was no doubt about it; it made both of them nervous. The feelings they both had for the old man were still so muddled and confused; although there a sense of relief that he knew about their relationship, there was also an odd feeling that they were also in danger of losing something.

Barnaby decided to break the silence; although he was normally not the one to initiate these awkward interactions, he found that there was no way they could say goodbye in such an unfulfilled way. "Would you mind if I took you somewhere?" he asked, stealing a glance at her.

She tilted her head. "Right now?"

"Yes," he replied. "I don't think I want you to go home yet."

She narrowed her eyes in amusement. "This has turned into a really long date, hasn't it?"

"I suppose you're tired of being around me, then."

She shook her head. "No," she admitted. Truth be told, she was secretly pleased that he was eager to keep her around. "Where are we going? Nowhere too crowded, I hope."

"I think I know just the right place."

Fifteen minutes later, they were standing against the railings off Stern Bild Harbor. It was a slightly crisp day; not yet cold enough to warrant a jacket, but one could still feel that certain sliver of autumn creeping through the wind. A few sail boats glided soundlessly in the distance, against the shimmering waves; the sun was high in the sky, and although there were a few clouds it could still be considered an excellent day.

Karina put her arms against the railings, eyes looking out into the distance. Barnaby stood next to her, also leaning against the rail. Both were silent for a few moments, observing the movements around them, taking in the relative calmness of the scene. They were both ill at ease; they knew they would have to address what had happened during breakfast, but it had been awkward enough then.

Karina had the courage to begin. "Hey..." she said, not taking her eyes off the water. "Back when Kotetsu was talking about you and I being boyfriend and girlfriend..." She faltered; the words seemed so foreign to her, and she could not tell how Barnaby would react.

He sighed. "We both had a negative reaction," he replied. Though he also kept his gaze on a distant boat, had a sudden urge to look over to her, to gauge how she was feeling. "I apologize if my protest was too forceful."

"There you go, being formal again," she could not help but tell him. "It wasn't just you. I said the same exact thing."

"Then I hope you weren't hurt by my outburst."

"Well, were you hurt by mine?" she echoed.

They were both silent for a few moments as a loud whirring noise sounded on the other side of the harbor; it was a speedboat, cutting through the waters quickly and fast. It was a stark comparison to the stillness of the sail boats; its drivers swung the boat to and fro, forming foaming patterns in the boat's wake.

"I suppose it's a matter of control for me," Barnaby began, choosing his words carefully. He suddenly understood, with a swift realization, that this was really the first time he had disclosed any fault in himself to anyone other than Kotetsu. "When I was younger, I had no control over anything that happened in my childhood. No choice, no say. When I entered the Hero Academy, I decided to take complete control over my destiny. I swore that I would never let anyone or anything determine the course of my life."

Karina did not quite understand what he was trying to say, but went to hazard a guess. "This relationship is something you have no control over, then?"

"Sort of," he answered. "We didn't really choose to enter into this. It just happened. I suppose it unnerves me that I didn't really have any choice on the matter. It's just hard to me relinquish control." He rested his weight against the railings."Why did you say that we weren't boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Karina thought a few moments before carefully framing her answer. "I guess it's because we never really had a talk about how this relationship is going to work. Maybe it was because I didn't want to get my hopes up...just in case you didn't feel the same way." Idly, she kicked her sandal-clad foot against the bottom of the rail. "I also didn't want Kotetsu to get the wrong idea. Even if it was the right idea." She shook her head. "That doesn't really make any sense, does it?"

"Nothing about this relationship makes sense," Barnaby said slowly.

Karina turned towards him, and their eyes met for the first time since they had stepped out of Barnaby's car. They stood facing each other for a few seconds, evaluating the other's gaze, trying to fathom how deep the emotions ran between them. They had finally confessed to Kotetsu, and that had been the toughest situation they had faced together. But the mutual mistrust and uncertainty were still there.

At times like these, they found themselves turning to newly-formed habits. Barnaby stepped forward, and Karina anticipated his next movement. She placed her arms in their familiar place around his shoulders, and his hands went to her waist. Their lips pressed together, although this was not like the heated, passionate kisses they gave each other in private. Somehow, it was a tentative kiss; they were still so unsure of each other, uncertain how far they go emotionally.

"How do you feel about me, Karina?" he asked her, breaking the kiss with some difficulty. It was not often that he sought the approval of any individual person. He was relentless in his pursuit of public opinion and celebrity, but he used to be immune to the opinions of the people who actually knew him. Until he met Kotetsu. Or until he started to know Karina. "Has your opinion changed in the few weeks we've been trying this relationship out?"

Karina knit her eyebrows; Barnaby did not often ask such questions of her. He was usually so self-assured and confident, or always tried to appear that way. "A little," she answered. "I think we were both infatuated before. The kissing spurred it on. So did the sex." She would not to minimize the effect of physical contact on their relationship; although they were still awkward around each other after each encounter, she was discovering bonds between them that had not existed before. The fact that she could sleep so casually in his arms was one of them. "I think we have to get to know each other more before I can say how I feel about you now." She looked up at him inquisitively. "How do you feel about me?"

"Much the same," he answered. "There are a lot of things we have to learn about each other." He thought of the unexpected moments between them-the night she had rolled unexpectedly into his arms during sleep, the invitation to stay in her room in Nathan's penthouse. The firm stance she had taken when she wanted to talk after Agnes's dismissal of the romance arc. A sudden impulse propelled him to say more. "I like what I've been seeing. I'd like to see more."

The revelation was decidedly anti-climactic, but Karina smiled all the same. "Well, that's a start, at least," she teased. Certain thoughts came to her then; when Barnaby had carried her to his bed after she had fallen asleep, when he had come after her after her small injury at Nathan's club. Even such a small thing as buying her a few snacks at the festival last night had already served to alter the cold, self-serving image she had of him before. She spoke slowly, deliberately. "You _can_ be sort of nice every now and then. A little sweet, too."

"Sweet?" Barnaby echoed. "I've been called a lot of things, but I don't think 'sweet' has ever been one of them."

Karina tilted her head. "There's a first time for everything, right?"

"You're right about that," he agreed. He thought about her for a few moments; he was not sure if she had changed during the time he had known her, but he did know that he had learned things about her that he had never considered. During their time as heroes, he had truly thought of her as a girl who was only in the hero business for the exposure she could receive as a pop star. After spending only a few weeks with her, he could see that her sentiments were much deeper than that-she wanted to construct something substantial with her songs, with her quiet moments spent at the piano. She had a drive that was genuine, and that was something he greatly admired in her.

The two were silent for a few moments more as the speed boat blundered past them in the harbor, leaving the trail of foam in its wake. Suddenly tired of just staying still, Karina stepped away from the railing, turning towards the walkway. She walked a few paces down the path; Barnaby understood her aim, and came up to walk next to her.

They had been walking for a few minutes when Karina decided to broach the subject; they had hardly had time in the morning to even think about it. "Kotetsu knows now," she said simply, though she wasn't quite sure what else to say.

"He does," Barnaby answered. "I think it's better he found sooner rather than later. I suppose it was for the best that he figured it out."

"I guess it was," Karina answered. "But the fact that we got so hung up on him in the first place says something, doesn't it?" Her feelings for the older man would not just change overnight-not after all the time she had spent daydreaming about him, imagining stupid little dates with him, gazing longingly at him while he told stories about Tomoe. And although those thoughts had never amounted to anything in reality, they had gone on for so long that it was unrealistic to think they could just end. Even with this new relationship with Barnaby.

Barnaby was not going to become one who made the truth sound gentler than it needed to. "It's not as if our feelings towards him are just going to go away," he agreed. There could be no way around this talk, he supposed. "If we're going to make this work, we'll have to lay aside our feelings for him. As long as we're stuck on him, we won't be able to fully connect with each other."

Karina knit her eyebrows. "I know," she said, as they continued their walk up towards the main shopping plaza of the harbor. "We have to be alone with each other for a while."

"A bit serious-sounding, but yes-that's the gist of it," Barnaby answered.

"Is that something you're willing to do?" she asked him.

He looked over to her, but did not respond right way. It was a difficult thing to ask, and an even more difficult action to actually carry out. His feelings for Kotetsu had the better part of three years to form; even in their time apart, the feelings had only become dormant for a few months, until they had had finally re-formed their partnership only a few months before. It was definitely going to be rough, but he had to tell himself-Karina was in the same boat. Perhaps she had not spent as much time around Kotetsu as Barnaby had, but she had been idolizing him and daydreaming about him practically since Tiger & Bunny had become a duo.

Still-in the past few weeks he felt that something tangible had formed between him and Karina. He had initially thought that he learned more towards men than to women, but now it seemed that gender was not a deciding factor in his attraction. It had started out as purely physical, with the kissing first, then the sex, and so on. And even though the emotional side of their relationship still lacked roots, it could grow. If they allowed it to.

"I'm willing to do it," he told her firmly, meaning the words.

Karina frowned. "It look you a long time to answer," she protested. "Sounds like you couldn't make up your mind at first."

"I was thinking about it," he said honestly. "I didn't want to give you a rushed answer. You deserve more than that."

They stopped walking; any further and they risked walking too near the shopping plaza. On a weekend the plaza was usually populated by teenage girls-Barnaby's primary fans. The last thing they needed was more interference from people who did not know any better. As soon as they stopped, however, they both realized that they had been holding hands the entire time; it was not something they had actively planned, nor something they had noticed before. It had just happened, with no pomp or ceremony; her fingers were firmly entwined around his, and he had been casually caressing the back of her hand.

Karina felt a rush of warmth suddenly; it was no use hiding her cheeks from him now, at any rate. Barnaby noticed the red against her skin, and gave her a playful smile. "What about you?" he asked. "Can you lay aside your own feelings?"

Karina's eyes wandered down to their entwined hands, though she remained silent. Her vision of Kotetsu had always been more of an ideal than she cared to admit to herself; although he was good-looking, had a caring heart, and demonstrated his loyalty and bravery time and again, she knew that he had flaws-that he was impulsive, made promises he could not keep, and kept the truth from people if he thought he could save them from pain. And it was time to make a decision-a conscious thought about what she wanted to do with this unusual relationship in the first place.

"I can," she said firmly. "We're going to have to work together on this."

He nodded. "We have to be alone with each other. For now," he added absently.

Karina cocked her head. If she was hearing him correctly, he was not distinctly ruling out the possibility of something happening with Kotetsu in the future. But she had to agree to focus on the present, to build up the fragile thing that developed between them. "For now," she agreed. "Only us."

Barnaby smiled. She seemed to have understood what he was getting at with Kotetsu. It would be easier if they consciously focused their efforts on each other for a while; perhaps, some time in the future, they could talk about Kotetsu again. But that would be a long time coming, and it could certainly wait. Things had become a lot less complicated than even just an hour before. Although he irrationally tried to deny it, he was pleased with the situation for once in a long while. The tightness in his chest suddenly eased, freeing up his body to relax. "I'm glad you agree," he told her. "I've really grown to like you, you know."

Karina smiled back. If anything, that was as much as declaration of love as she would ever receive from Barnaby. "I really like you too, Bunny," she affirmed. "A lot more than I used to."

It was only when they had walked back to the car that Karina realized she had used his nickname without a thought, and that Barnaby realized that he hadn't corrected her. As far as the other word they could have used for "like"-well, that would come later.

...

The End.

Endnotes: I hope you've enjoyed my story. I thank all the readers who've been here from the beginning and have given me pointers and advice, as well as good comments to cheer me. In this story, I wanted to challenge myself to write a fic about an uncommon pairing. Barnaby/Karina happened to be my pet pairing, and I had only read a handful of other fics pairing the two of them together. I wanted to explore a possible relationship between them that wasn't initially based off Kotetsu, while still making them really contrary and unsure of each other. Hopefully I achieved that.

As for the ending, I knew that a romance between such prickly people wouldn't be easy, but wanted to portray an optimistic ending since I theoretically believe it _could_ work. Thanks and thanks again readers, especially nitrolead, Vocarin, and sakr9! You guys have really stuck through with me the whole way. I really enjoyed reading everyone's comments. I hope to make another fanfiction journey into the land of T&B at a later date!


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